Oyasuminasai Tomadachikun
by Michiko-Sakura
Summary: Sakura and Shaoran are best friends. People might even mistake them for a couple. Sakura makes a sacrifice which will show her she's in love with Shaoran. Will he realize that he's truly in love with Sakura before he losses her completely? SxS
1. Oyasumi

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor do I claim to own any of the characters connected to the original Card Captor Sakura anime and manga. I do own however the storyline and the added characters. Any resemblance to real life people are purely unintentional and totally coincidental.**

A/N: Another CCS fic that I have been playing with for years inside my head. I have no expectations of how this will turn out, I mean with the readers and all since I don't want to start comparing it with other stories of mine. I already know the ending so I can say that this is very different in a way to my other stories and can stand on its own at least. At this point, it is still on the trial phase. Me continuing with the fic will probably depend on the response from you guys. Please do review if you guys are interested in it. Thanks.

_Oyasuminasai Tomadachi-kun_

Chapter 1 Oyasumi

Shaoran was lying in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His mind was racing and his heart ached. The events of the past days were racing inside his head, making him remember why he was such, a sorry state. No matter what he did or how many times he went through it in his head, he still couldn't figure out where he went wrong or what he must have done to push the woman he loved away from him. He cursed out loud at himself.

His cell phone began to ring. Shaoran just let it ring. He didn't even make an effort to get up aside from glancing at it. It continued to ring. He knew it could only be one person who would be calling to check up on him, Sakura. He knew she was really, really worried about him. He hadn't been talking to anyone about what had happened but they knew what he was going through. His best friend hadn't said much about it either. He knew she wanted him to have space. Now, she was calling him. Yeah, that was typical Sakura. Shaoran was always the stoic kind but she managed to always see through that. Somehow it made Shaoran smile knowing that he had a best friend who was stubborn enough to stick around for him.

Shaoran finally got up and answered his phone. "Hey, Sakura. Sorry I was in the bath, just got out. What's up?" He said.

"You plan on doing anything tomorrow?" She asked.

"No, not really. Why?"

"Good. Meet me at Central at noon." Sakura said.

"Huh? Why?"

"Just do it, Shaoran. If I put up with you lying to me just now, please do this for me."

Judging by her voice, Shaoran knew something was up, something was bothering her. _"That's you, genius. She's worried about you. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.' _Shaoran said to himself. "Ok, Sakura. I'll be there." Shaoran told her.

"Good. Listen," Sakura said and paused. Shaoran said nothing as he waited for her to continue. "For what it's worth, you didn't do anything wrong. Please…trust me…"

"Thanks, Sakura. Good night." Shaoran said as he hung up the phone.

Shaoran laid in bed again. He let his hands through his unruly brown hair and closed his eyes. He forced everything out of his head as he waited for sleep take a hold on him. It was hard. He waited for what seemed like forever before he was able to drift off to sleep.

Before noon the next day, Shaoran made his way to Central to meet Sakura. He was a little surprised when he saw Sakura already there waiting at the coffee shop. She seemed to be reading a book. He smirked. She wasn't even aware that he was there making his way towards her. Upon reaching her from behind, he placed his hands over her eyes. He didn't say anything. He saw that Sakura placed her book down and started to feel the hands covering her eyes.

"It's so much like you, Shaoran." Sakura said as she removed his hands from her eyes and looked up. She then smiled at him. Shaoran smiled at her as he proceeded to sit in front of her.

"What's up? Don't tell me we're just going to spend the day here at the coffee shop and reading a book?" Shaoran said.

Sakura laughed as she returned the book in her bag and closed her ipod. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Sorry to disappoint you but I have other things in mind." Sakura answered.

"Ok fine. Hey are you going to finish that?" Shaoran replied.

Sakura pushed her sandwich towards Shaoran and said, "No. You can have it. Having the usual?" Shaoran nodded as Sakura made her way to the counter and ordered. "Double mocha latte, please, Yukito-san."

"Coming right up, Sakura." Yukito said with a smile and then glanced towards Shaoran who was still eating the sandwich. "He's doing better than expected." Yukito commented.

"I'd like to believe that too." Sakura replied with a sad smile.

"Aww. Is Sakura coming to his rescue? All these years you've been saying he's strong and now you're coming to his rescue." Touya suddenly said as he leaned over the counter.

"Drop dead, 'nii-chan." Sakura replied as she took the latte from Yukito and thanked him. "This is probably the hardest thing I'll ever be doing. You could at least wish me luck." She added as she went back to join Shaoran.

Yukito and Touya watched her go. "Something is up." Touya commented as he straightened himself.

Yukito turned to him inquiringly. "What do you think it is?" Yukito asked.

"Beats me. You know, Sakura. It will come out sooner or later." Touya said as he started working again. Yukito was silent as he glanced at Sakura. She seemed her usual self but then, for a moment, he thought he saw sadness in her eyes. Yukito reasoned it must be what happened to Shaoran. Sakura was always sensitive to others' feelings. It must be it. Touya was right. It will come out sooner or later. Sakura glanced back at him and smiled. Yukito smiled too and went about doing his job again.

"It seems you have never gotten over that crush of yours." Shaoran suddenly said as he saw Sakura smile back at Yukito. It seemed to have taken her by surprise.

"What?" She asked.

Shaoran grinned as he finished the last of his sandwich and said, "I said, it seems you have never gotten over that crush of yours."

"What if I said I didn't?" Sakura replied, almost laughing.

"Then you're hopeless, Sakura."

"Uh-huh, right." She then handed him her pocket mirror.

"What's this?" Shaoran asked, about to accept it.

"A mirror. I want you to look at yourself and reconsider that statement of yours." Sakura replied. Shaoran grinned and put his hand down. He then smirked. "Between the two of us, you're the one who's hopeless and not me. If you believe that, then I've just proven my point." Sakura answered as she got her bag and stood.

Shaoran shook his head as he followed Sakura to the counter and said goodbye to Touya and Yukito (well it was more on Yukito). As they left the coffee shop, Shaoran asked, "Where exactly are we going?"

"Nowhere in particular. Just chillin' out. Why? Is there somewhere you want to go?"

"No, not really. Chillin' out seems fine, well, that is if it's not anything girly or something."

"Hey! Since when have I asked you to come with me and do something girly?"

Shaoran smirked. "Where do I start?" He said. Sakura laughed.

Sakura then took out two tickets and said, "Since you much persist in annoying me with your sarcasms, I guess I will just have to give this extra ticket to the Shinzo Mizuhara concert later to someone else. I happen to have a spare reserved for my best friend but as it turns out, he's really not interested and a total blockhead. Oh well, I guess I should have asked Yukito-san instead."

"You got tickets? I thought it was sold out months ago?"

Sakura smiled as she returned the tickets inside her wallet. "When will you learn, Shaoran, that I can pull anything off with a little luck and hard work." Sakura answered.

"What did you do this time?" Shaoran asked.

"Like I said, I just happen to be lucky, that's all. I was practicing gymnastics one day and I happen to meet the organizer for the concert. As it turns out, he's the brother of Coach Asahi. I just happen to be the first one at practice and the last to leave so he was a little fond of my dedication. He said that I remind him of his younger self so he gave me free tickets."

"And the reason why you didn't tell me about this until now is because?"

"Well that's because you're a moron. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I said something, now would it?" Sakura said.

"Whatever." Shaoran said as he pulled on her arm and started to drag her along. Sakura seemed surprised. "Come on. We have a movie to catch. We can use that to kill the time. My treat, don't worry, just let me in on the concert."

Sakura started to laugh as she allowed herself to be dragged. "You really are a moron. Did you really think I'd back out on my invitation to the concert just because you are annoying? Geez." She said. Shaoran grinned as they headed to watch a movie.

After watching the movie and grabbing something to eat, Shaoran and Sakura quickly made their way to the concert. As to be expected, there were a lot of people who turned up for the concert. Both Shaoran and Sakura noted that Shinto Mizuhara was really popular. As they stood among the crowd trying to get in, they amused themselves as they conversed about things that they would usually do.

"Hey Sakura, I've been thinking, since it won't be long before we are to choose which course to pursue, I think I'm going to pursue business management in college. What do you think?"

"Business management? You? Sorry, Shaoran but I think that you are more suitable to law. It's more your forte. Why have you turned your back on debate and stuff?" Shaoran was silent.

"Shaoran?" Sakura asked, a little gently. She wasn't sure if she was forcing it but she and Shaoran had grown up together even if he was a year older and a year ahead of her. She knew that he had wanted to become a lawyer since they were kids. Then, his sudden change of mind now that it was less than a year before his graduation from high school…it seemed that things ran deeper than she originally thought

Shaoran smirked and looked at her and said, "I'm just a little tired, that's all. I can't even win an argument against you and you're expecting me to do it for the rest of my life."

"But Shaoran, it has been your dream since we were kids." Sakura wanted to say more but dropped it because she didn't want to impose on him.

Shaoran knew where she was getting at. He placed his arm around her shoulder and playfully touched her nose with his finger and said, "Don't worry too much, Sakura." He then pulled her closer to him and smiled down at her. "Everything is going to be fine. You trust me, right?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "If that is what you really want, then I won't stop you." She said. "Come on. Let's just enjoy the concert. You've been sulking around lately that it has affected your brain. Take this as a break, Shaoran." She added. Shaoran laughed as they entered the building and enjoyed the concert.

After the concert, Shaoran and Sakura waited for the people to disperse before they too started to leave. But then someone called out, "Sakura! Sakura Kinomoto."

They both turned around to see who was calling. Sakura smiled when she realized that it was her coach's brother, the one who gave her the tickers. "You came. So? How was the concert?" He asked.

"It was awesome, Asahi-san" Sakura replied as they approached him. "You came with your boyfriend here?" He asked.

"Oh no, no. I'm sorry. Asahi-san, this is Li Shaoran, my best friend." Sakura replied. Shaoran extended his hand and shook the man's hand.

"Would you guys like to meet Shinzo Misuhara?" He proposed.

Sakura and Shaoran looked at each other. "Seriously? But it's too much, Asahi-san. You already gave us free tickets which have been sold out for months and…really, Asahi-san, it is already too much." Sakura replied.

He laughed and then started to show them the way.

Neither Shaoran and Sakura moved. "It's alright, you two. Come this way."

"No, really, Asahi-san. Thank you but like Sakura said, it is already too much. Thank you." Shaoran said, still not moving.

"It's fine, Shaoran, Sakura. Actually Shinzo would really like to meet you two." Both of them were dumbfounded. They looked at each other as they followed the man inside.

He then said, "I've been telling him that I gave two tickets to this girl I met in one of her practice. Well he knows that I don't just give away tickets just like that so he wanted to meet her. I hope you don't mind."

"If you say it like that, Asahi-san, now I'm all nervous." Sakura replied.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I told Asahi-san that he doesn't have to do it." Came Shinzo's voice as he walked towards them.

"Ah, Shinzo. I would like you to meet Sakura and Shaoran. Guys, this is Shinzo."

Greetings were exchanged. Shinzo smiled at Sakura. "So would you guys like something to drink?" Shinzo offered as Asahi left them to do some business.

"Sure." They answered as they were seated. Shinzo then got them some cold, canned drinks and gave it to them.

"I hear that you do some gymnastics, Sakura." Shinzo said as he sat in front of her.

"Yeah but it's just a side-thing of mine. It's a little something coach had me do, the team do, as training for our cheerleading routines."

"So you're a cheerleader, huh? So how about you, Shaoran? I'm guessing you are into some kind of sport."

"Kendo." Shinzo smiled and leaned back.

"Shinzo isn't my real name, you know." He said. Both Shaoran and Sakura were surprised. They hadn't expected that. There was nothing written or broadcast about that. Shinzo just smiled and said, "My real name is Eriol, Hiiragizawa Eriol. I know it must have come as a surprise but I thought that it might be a little ice-breaker. It's just I don't know how to start a conversation."

After conversing for a while, they all just said goodbye because Eriol knew that they had classes the next day. Actually, he did too. It was going to be his first day in his new school. He had just moved to Tokyo from Niigata and he was going to have to continue with his education.

Shaoran accompanied Sakura home. Upon reaching her front door, she turned back to him and smiled. "Thanks for walking me home, Shaoran." She said. He smiled and told her that it wasn't a problem. "Hey, Shaoran, listen…um with what happen between you and Rika…it wasn't your fault. Please believe me. You didn't do anything wrong. I just thought that you needed to know that." Shaoran nodded, not knowing why Sakura was saying it all of a sudden.

"Good night, Shaoran." Sakura said before heading inside.

"Good night, Sakura." Shaoran said before heading home.

She stood at the other side of the door for a while, knowing that it was the final time she was going to be able to be with Shaoran. She was supposed to tell him goodbye for good throughout the day but she just couldn't find it in her heart to. She needed to do this. She needed to do this for him. She wanted to him to be happy. It was the only way. It was the hardest thing she would ever have to do. She just hoped that her courage would not falter as she would start to do the things that she needed to.

(to be continued…)

This is a storyline totally different from the rest and as of now it is just a trial storyline. I don't have any expectations right now. I already know how this is going to end because like some of my other fics, I've been playing with this inside of my head for years. Well anyway, c'est la vie. We will see how it will go. Thanks.

Michiko


	2. Day 1

Chapter 2 Day 1

When Sakura woke up that morning, she felt like it was going to be worst day of her life. She dreaded going to school. But she knew that it was what she needed to do. Life still goes on even if she already knew what she needed to do was going to be almost next to impossible. If she had it her way, she wouldn't have gotten out of bed. Her cell phone was already ringing and the name registered it as Shaoran's. She wouldn't pick it up. She knew why he was calling her that early. She knew what was going to happen that morning since yesterday. She didn't need to pick up and let him tell her. She just knew.

How could she not know? She arranged it to happen that way. Sakura knew that Shaoran was happy again as it should be. She was the reason why he was heartbroken in the first place. She had done the right thing. It was her responsibility as his best friend that his happiness was ensured.

Sakura looked at herself at the mirror as she started to brush her hair when she finished putting on her uniform. She couldn't help but sigh. Looking at herself, she couldn't help but think what she had gotten herself into. How could she really pull it off? Was she strong enough? Sakura shook her head. She knew that it was not the way to go. She couldn't afford to falter or turn back now. It would cost Shaoran everything again. She couldn't allow him to suffer because of her. He didn't deserve that. It was the least she could do for everything that he had done for her.

She checked the clock and almost panicked. It wasn't that because she was late but she knew Shaoran. She hadn't answered her phone which could mean that he might just drop by or meet her on the way to school to tell her all about it. Her choices were either to run to school before Shaoran could drop by or present herself late. Sakura thought for a second and decided that she would just have to beat Shaoran to school. She quickly got her school bag and went downstairs.

"Good morning, 'tou-chan, 'nii-chan. I think I'm just going to grab an apple and head to school. I'm running late. See you later."

Sakura said as she quickly got an apple from the table and was about to run to leave when her father said, "Aren't you going to wait for, Shaoran? He said that he couldn't get through to you on your phone so he called and said that he's going to drop by to walk you to school."

Sakura stopped dead on her tracks and turned and forced a smile and said, "I just charged my phone. Thank you, 'tou-chan but I'm really running late. I'm going to hear it from coach. Thank you. Bye." She then quickly ran outside.

She hated lying to her father. She didn't mind lying to her brother but still she hated lying to her family. She started to run towards school. When she was still near from her home, she thought about nothing but to get away. She needed to avoid him. Nearing the school, she sort of felt that it was alright to slow down a bit and started walking again.

Sakura walked the remaining distance to school. Her mind wasn't really minding the things that were happening around her that morning. She was early in school. Sakura met up with Tomoyo and the other girls. She knew that they were one of the early ones, which she was really grateful for.

"Hey Sakura! You're very early. Did something happen?" Chiharu asked.

Sakura smiled and stood in between Tomoyo and Naoko. "Come on you guys. Can't I be early for once? Why does it like there must be something that has happened for me to be very early like this?" The three girls laughed. "Is it that bad that I end up in school this early?" Sakura commented.

Tomoyo then laid a gentle hand on Sakura's shoulder and said, "Not really, Sakura. It's just well really surprising that you came in early especially since we saw you with Li-sempai in line for the concert last night." Sakura seemed dumbfounded.

"So how was the concert? Was it good?" Naoko asked.

"Forget about that. Have you and Li-sempai finally got together?" Chiharu asked.

Sakura felt that they were really closing in on her. She couldn't help but step back. "Take it easy you guys, will you? Chill. We're not together if you must know. We're best friends, that's all. Geez. Besides, Rika-san got back with him so it was just a friend's night out sort of thing."

"What? Wait! Rewind!" Chiharu exclaimed. All three of them felt like the rug had been pulled from under them. They hadn't expected that one. "Li-sempai and Rika-san are back together? When did this happen?" Chiharu added.

"This morning. And if anyone asks, you didn't hear it from me. Let's keep this under wraps for a while. Let them be the one to make the announcement, shall we?" Sakura said.

"Sounds like you're jealous." Naoko teased.

Sakura blushed and said, "What? Don't say such nonsense. Shaoran is my best friend and I'm really happy for him." The three girls just laughed. "I think I should get myself a boy friend or a crush at least maybe by then you'd stop pushing me to Shaoran." Sakura commented sarcastically.

"I don't think you have to wait long." Tomoyo replied.

Sakura turned to her and looked at her all confused. She knew she had said it in a sarcastic way and they all knew that it wasn't to be taken literally. "What are you talking about?" Sakura couldn't help but ask.

"That cute guy has been looking at you and is now walking towards us." Tomoyo said.

All of them turned and saw a handsome young man smiling and walking towards them. They would have squealed but it seemed that they were frozen in place.

Looking at him, he looked like Shinzo Mizuhara. The Shinzo Mizuhara, the latest pop idol that had soared to popularity with the help of his talent and good looks, was walking towards them, smiling and all. But he was wearing glasses. It didn't matter though. All they knew was that he was handsome and coming towards them. They had been so wrapped up in their conversation that they hadn't even noticed. A lot of the students were speechless too.

He walked straight to Sakura. Sakura was a little surprised. She hadn't expected this at all. She even wondered if she was dreaming. "Hey Sakura. A pleasant surprise to see you here."

"Hey. I'm sorry…it's just…hi." Sakura replied, uncertain on what to say. Surprise had crept up to her so fast that she felt so overwhelmed to comprehend everything that was happening at that moment.

Chiharu and the others couldn't help it anymore and ask, "Um, excuse me. Sorry. It seems that you know each other…but…it's just…aren't you Shinzo Mizuhara?"

He smiled and replied, "I get that a lot actually. But no. My name is Hiiragizawa Eriol. It's a pleasure to meet all of you and please pardon my rudeness." He then gave a courteous bow to them. The girls then introduced themselves. They were still a little star-struck even if they believed that he wasn't Shinzo Mizuhara. Sakura wondered why he hadn't acknowledged that he was really Shinzo. It brought this curiosity that draw her to him.

Eriol looked at Sakura and smiled. He knew that she wanted to know why he hadn't told them that he was actually Shinzo. But he was grateful that she had chosen not to say anything in front of her friends. In that way, it made her a more interesting person to him.

"Why didn't you tell me that you transferred to our school?" Sakura asked as she smiled at him.

He smiled and said, "Well, I guess we were both surprised. Besides, it's a little more interesting to me how you know that. It's probably that obvious but still." Sakura just smiled.

"It's my job to know, Eriol. Shall I accompany you to the faculty room now?" Sakura offered.

"No, thank you. I think I can manage that. I don't want to trouble you this early in the morning. Well, if you'll excuse me ladies, I'm off." Eriol said before leaving and heading to the faculty room.

"That was…that was…" Naoko started.

"That was…you're right, Sakura. Forget Li-sempai and go for Eriol. You have my support." Tomoyo commented.

"Wait! How come you never told us that you knew someone as handsome as that, Sakura?" Chiharu started.

Sakura gave them a shaky smile. "I think I prefer the not-being-late issue better than this one." She then started to dash off inside. Her friends looked at each other and started to run after her.

"Hey! You guys wait up!" Tomoyo, Chiharu and Naoko heard someone call out. They turned and saw Shaoran running towards them. They stood there looking at each other. They found it quite odd that he would call out at them for something. Shaoran caught up and started to catch his breath a little.

"Have you guys seen, Sakura? I tried to call her but she wouldn't pick up her phone and I called to say that I'd be picking her up for school but when I came her dad said that she already left, some sort of practice. Have you seen her by chance?" Shaoran said.

Chiharu, Tomoyo and Naoko looked at each other. They knew that there wasn't any practice for cheerleading that morning. They were given the time off. They also weren't aware of things that had to do with the student council. It was odd. Sakura did say that Shaoran and Rika had gotten back together that morning and they knew that the only way she would know that was if Shaoran had told her unless something else happened. Something was not right.

"Ah, Li-sempai, Sakura well she went on ahead. There's a new student who entered the school. Since Sakura was the earliest to arrive among the officers, she was called in." Tomoyo said to cover up.

"Yeah! Yeah, that's right. You just missed her. She was called in not too long ago and just ran inside." Chiharu said.

"Maybe her phone's dead or on silent or something." Naoko commented.

Shaoran looked at them and replied, "Sakura's phone never goes dead. Did she say something or did she seem upset?" The girls looked at each other and quickly shook their heads. Shaoran seemed skeptical but then after a while said, "Alright then. Please tell her that I'm looking for her and that there is something that I need to tell her. Thanks." He then headed inside the school building.

The girls looked at each other. They didn't quite know how to put things together. They were surprised that Shaoran can't seem to find Sakura or that Sakura wouldn't answer his calls on top of she knew the exceedingly kind and handsome new student.

"What was that about?" Chiharu asked.

"I don't know but something tells me that it's really going to be interesting." Tomoyo replied smiling. "I'm sure Sakura will be able to handle it. I'm not worried." She added.

"It's not that, Tomoyo. But I wonder what's happening behind our backs? Those two are tight even if they aren't boyfriend-girlfriend. I hope it isn't another one of Rika-san's escapades. I doubt that she really likes Sakura, though it's hard to think of a reason why she wouldn't like her because Sakura is a very likeable person, everyone likes her." Naoko started to say.

"Listen to you two…Sakura's going to kill you if she hears this. Ok maybe I'm exaggerating but listen let's not start talking about this because Rika-san at three o'clock. I don't know about you two but I'm heading inside. See ya." Chiharu said as she started to run inside.

"Hey! Chiharu!" They called out as they chased after her.

They all headed to their classroom and pretty soon, Sakura joined them. "Hey Sakura, Shaoran was looking for you earlier. He said that he wants to talk to you. He said he couldn't get a hold of you." Tomoyo said when Sakura placed her bag at the side of her desk and sat down.

"Shaoran? Yeah, ok thanks. I'll call him later." Sakura said.

Tomoyo exchanged glances with Chiharu and Naoko. "He also said that your dad told him that you had to rush to school because we had practice. Now, we're your friends, Sakura. Are you having a secret relationship?" Chiharu said.

Sakura's mouth almost dropped. She did a double take. "A secret what?" She asked.

"A secret relationship. You know, probably with the new guy, Hiiragizawa-san. Maybe you two are going out and Li-sempai doesn't approve so you are keeping it secret from him. Or probably you and Li-sempai are really a couple and oh! I know you are pretty and all but dating two guys at once? Gosh Sakura…" Chiharu started to say then leaned closer and added, "You've got to tell me your secret…"

Sakura, Tomoyo and Naoko couldn't stop laughing. "No. I'm not going out with anybody. I'm single…free as a bird and I like it that way, thank you very much. But what girl doesn't want to be swept off her feet and meet prince charming?" Sakura said as she started to waved her arms and embrace herself dreamily.

"We can have that arranged." Some guy suddenly spoke in Sakura's ear.

Sakura was so surprised that she jumped from her seat but tripped and fell on her bottom. She looked up and saw Shaoran. He was grinning down at her. He then offered a hand to her and she took it. _So much for avoiding him…_ Sakura thought to herself.

"Boy, I didn't know you were desperate to have a boy friend." He teased her.

She gave him a look and replied, "Well that's because you are too busy being a jerk and I just had a date with the floor. What are you doing here anyway?"

Shaoran then handed her a letter. "Ryu was about to look for you and give you this letter. He said that you guys have a student council meeting later. With regards to what about, he said read the letter and you will understand. I was about to look for you since you refused to answer my calls so I volunteered to come here myself and bring you the letter." He said.

"Thanks. Tell him I'll be there. Get back already or I'll cite you myself for tardiness." Sakura said.

Shaoran grinned, "Geez, you can be really a pain, you know that. I didn't even have a chance to tell you why I've been trying to get in touch with you with since this morning."

"Yeah well that's for surprising me and letting me hit the floor. Get going before Rika-san gets jealous or something." Sakura said as she was about to open the letter.

"Hey! How did you know?" Shaoran suddenly asked.

Sakura looked up from the letter and said, "Huh?"

He looked at her. Sakura then realized that she had said something that she shouldn't have. "How did you know?" Shaoran asked again.

Sakura thought quickly and smiled and said, "Because I'm psychic now get going before you're marked late. I don't think you can afford that right now, can you?" Shaoran looked at her and nodded and left.

Sakura then proceeded reading the letter as she sat back down at her chair. "You sure can go against, Li-sempai, can you?" Tomoyo commented.

"Well because he knows that he was really being a jerk just now and besides the bell is going to sound soon." Sakura replied, not looking up from the letter. She then folded it again and placed it in her bag.

"I know it's not like Li-sempai to be late. Is he going for a perfect attendance or something?" Chiharu said.

"I think so. Well anyway can we just not talk about him…I'd rather not spoil my day, thank you very much." Sakura said.

The others looked at each other. They were about to ask what it was really about when the bell sounded and their homeroom teacher entered. All stood and greeted Yoshiyuki Terada. They bowed and sat. "Good morning. Well before anything else, we have a new student joining our class." He said and motioned the new student to come in from the door.

When he entered, murmuring started all over the class. Sakura was stunned. Chiharu, Tomoyo and Naoko were just as surprised. He stood beside the teacher and smiled. "My name is Hiiragizawa Eriol. Pleased to meet you." He then bowed at them.

(to be continued…)

Hmm…well I guess that it is worth putting all my effort into finishing. I've decided to continue on with this fic. Thanks to those who had read and reviewed the first chapter. Thanks so much. I didn't expect this to tell you quite frankly. Thanks. Please do review if you're into the storyline so I'd know more or less how to tackle it. Thanks.

Michiko


	3. Fast Pace

Chapter 3 Fast Pace

"Kinomoto-chan." Yoshiyuki said. Sakura stood. "Please show Hiiragizawa around school." Yoshiyuki said.

"Yes, Sir." Sakura replied and bowed.

He then turned to Eriol and said, "She is Kinomoto Sakura, vice president of the student council. She will show you around school. Why don't you occupy the empty seat next to her?"

Eriol nodded and bowed. He then headed to the vacant seat next to Sakura. He smiled at her when their eyes met, which she returned as they both sat. Yoshiyuki then proceeded with the class.

During lunch break, their other classmates when up to Eriol and introduced themselves. "Eriol, this is Sawada Megumi, our class president. If I'm not around and you have some questions, you can ask her." Sakura said as she introduced Megumi.

Eriol smiled and nodded. "Forgive us for saying this but you look a lot like Shinzo Mizuhara." Some said.

Eriol smiled again and said, "I get that a lot actually but I cannot compare to him."

Girls seemed to be really taken in with Eriol. He was like this perfect guy, handsome and a gentleman. Guys seemed a little apprehensive towards him but some seemed uninterested all together.

"I'm heading over to the cafeteria to buy some lunch. Do you have packed lunch?" Sakura said to Eriol as she took out her wallet from her bag.

"No. I'll have to head to the cafeteria too." Eriol replied. Sakura smiled at him and started to lead the way. Eriol excused himself from the others and followed Sakura.

"Well you'll get the hang of the layout of this school. Are you planning to join any organizations or clubs? I can take you there before I go to the student council meeting this afternoon." Sakura started.

As they were walking down the corridors towards the cafeteria, a lot of people were looking at them as they walked. Sakura tried to act as normal as she could and so did Eriol. "It's alright thanks. But I don't plan on joining anything just yet until I've adjusted to the schedule here and the curriculum. Besides, we both know that I have other extra curricular activities away from this school." Eriol replied.

Sakura laughed and replied, "Yeah, I know. I'm not even going to ask that straight out because you took the extra length to cover it up."

"But I'm sure you are wondering why I'm not telling, right?"

Sakura nodded. "But I'm not about to ask. I don't want to pry in other people's business." She quickly added. Eriol couldn't help but laugh.

"I trust you. I trust you enough to tell you about it last night." Eriol commented.

Sakura started to blush a little. "Please don't make me blush. We're both in trouble if people start talking." Sakura said.

Eriol grinned. "Why? Do you have a boyfriend? Or is Li-san your boyfriend?"

"Shaoran is not my boyfriend. He's just my best friend and he's involved with another girl. Me, I'm single and not complaining." Sakura answered.

"Really? Forgive me for saying this but, you two seemed really close and I assumed that you two were going out or something." Eriol said.

"People make that assumption all the time but it is totally not true." Sakura replied smiling at him.

Eriol smiled back. "It really surprises me." Eriol commented.

"Why do you say that?" Sakura asked, smiling and looking at him curiously.

"Well that's because it's hard to imagine that a pretty girl like you is single. Do you have suitors at least?" He said.

Sakura started blushing. Eriol couldn't help but grin. "Now you really are making me blush. Can we change the subject? I'm not really comfortable talking about something that is non-existent." Sakura replied nervously as she started walking on ahead to hide her blushing face.

Eriol laughed a little and caught up with her and said, "Hey I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. Ok, we can talk about other things."

"Let me just say this, you really are a sweet-talker if you choose to be, Hiiragizawa Eriol." Sakura commented as they were about to enter the cafeteria.

Eriol laughed as all eyes seemed to drift towards them as they entered and walked through the cafeteria. They knew it but decided to just act as if they hadn't noticed anything.

After they bought something to eat, they started to head for the entrance when some girls walked up to them and asked Eriol, "I'm sorry but are you Shinzo Mizuhara?" They were all excited and it seemed that everyone started talking about it and taking notice. Eriol smiled. Sakura wasn't sure what she was supposed to do but when she locked eyes with Eriol, she knew that he had everything under control.

"No. I'm sorry. My name is Hiiragizawa Eriol. People say I look a lot like him but I'm sorry to say that I'm not him. It would be cool to be him though." The people seemed a little disappointed but then walked away. Sakura suppressed her laugh.

Sakura led him to the fields. It was quieter there. "This is where I would go whenever I would like to have some peace, you know, to get away from all that buzz and stuff in campus. This is where I ate lunch with my brother and his best friend before they finished high school last year and went off to college." Sakura said to Eriol as they sat on the grass which over looked the empty playing fields.

"So your brother just graduated huh?" Eriol asked.

"Yeah. He's studying to be a doctor. I always tell him that he should have chose something else because he might just end up scaring people without any valid reason but…I never told him this but…I always believed that he suits that job. He can really be stuck up and down right obnoxious but he's my 'nii-chan. He cares a lot and always does things for the benefit of others. He always looks out for people he cares about, especially me. When I get into trouble, he's the one who helps me out without any questions asked." Sakura said.

She then looked at Eriol. He just smiled back at her. He was very amused with the way she told him stories and how she was. "Oh I'm sorry. I got a little carried away there." Sakura suddenly said.

"No, not at all. It's very interesting actually. It seems that you and your brother are really close." Eriol commented.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "I look up to him a lot even if he's such a pain sometimes." She said.

"How about you, Eriol? Got any siblings?" She asked.

"No. I'm an only child. I always wanted to have a brother or a sister." Sakura smiled. "But I've come to terms that that's never going to happen. I even think that it's a good thing because, you see, my mom was always very sickly. If she had more children, not just me, to be taken cared of, her body might now have been able to take it. She wouldn't have lived long enough to see my first concert." Eriol said.

"Oh I'm sorry, Eriol. I'm sure that she's in a better place now." Sakura said. Eriol smiled. "I lost my mom too. But unlike you, I never really got to know her. She died when I was about three years old. But you know, even if there are times where I miss her a lot, I'm really grateful and happy that I have my brother and dad because having them around seems like she's not really gone." Sakura said. Eriol smiled again. Sakura smiled at him too.

"So why didn't you tell me that you are the vice president of the student council?" Eriol asked as he finished off what was left of his sandwich.

"Probably the same reason why you didn't say that you were transferring to this school and that you don't tell people your alter ego." Sakura replied as she gathered their used materials and placed them into their respective bins.

Eriol smiled and said, "I chose to tell you the truth because quite frankly I sort of had this feeling last night that I would encounter you guys again. I wasn't wrong was I?" Sakura looked at him and nodded. "I chose to tell people my real name instead of sticking to my alter ego as you say because in school, I am just like any other student trying to get an education. I don't get off much from popularity because I want to make it on my own merit and not just because of the name I created for myself."

"It's very down-right noble of you, Eriol. I'm sure you're going to make it. But I can tell that it's going to be a colorful experience." Sakura replied as she started to lead him back inside the campus to finish off the campus tour.

"I won't put it that way, Sakura. Everyone wants to have this sense of normalcy in life, you know, the feeling like you are just everyone else." Eriol replied.

As they were walking down the corridor, they met up with Ryu Watanabe, the student council president.

"Watanabe-san!" Sakura called out.

He turned and upon seeing her smiled and walked towards them. "Sakura. I was wondering when I'd bump into you. I just passed by your classroom. They told me that you went to have lunch and toured the new student around campus." Ryu said. Sakura smiled and nodded.

"Watanabe-san, this is Hiiragizawa Eriol, our school's newest student. Eriol, this is Watanabe Ryu, the student council president." Sakura said.

Greetings were exchanged between the two guys. They shook hands. "So how do you find our school so far, Hiiragizawa-san?" Ryu asked.

Eriol smiled and replied, "It's great. I still have some adjustment to do but so far it's been great."

Ryu nodded and said, "If you have any problems, please don't hesitate to approach me or any of the student council officers, or any officer for that matter. Since you're in the same class as Sakura, I'm sure you'll be alright. She will look after you until you get on your feet." Eriol smiled and bowed in gratitude.

Ryu then addressed Sakura, "I know we have a student council meeting later but I just got word that the principal wants a word with us in about ten minutes. Since you are my vice, you need to come. I was looking for you."

"Is it about the college fair?" Sakura asked.

"No. That's the matter reserved for the meeting later. I don't know why the principal wants to talk to us." Ryu replied.

He then turned to Eriol and said, "We'll bring you back to the classroom first. Classes start in three minutes. Teachers here are a little strict with the attendance since the school is being evaluated now in an effort to get a higher accreditation this year. We're going to show you a short cut to class." Eriol nodded.

Ryu and Sakura then started to lead him, running a little to beat the bell. By the door to the classroom, Ryu and Sakura stopped and said, "We're sorry to cut the campus tour all of a sudden. Please feel free to ask us anything or approach us if you encounter some trouble."

Eriol smiled and thanked them. He watched them run towards the principal's office before entering the classroom. He couldn't help but smile. He was looking at Sakura and admired her more now that he knew that she was a very responsible person who was well received by her peers. There were still a lot of things that he didn't know about her but it didn't matter at that point. He just knew that she was different from other girls. He went inside and headed to his seat.

When he sat, Tomoyo asked him, "So how did it go?" He looked at her, not certain on what she was asking. Tomoyo just smiled and said, "I know Sakura. She gave you a campus tour, didn't she?"

Eriol smiled when he understood and nodded. "I guess I won't be getting lost any time soon. She introduced me to the student council president. It was ok." He said. Tomoyo smiled again.

"Well that's Sakura for you. By the way, where is she? Watanabe-san was looking for her and I assume that they had already met up since she introduced you to him. Where are they? Class is about to start again." Tomoyo asked.

"Well, Watanabe-san said that the principal has called for them. They are about to have a meeting. They don't know what it is about." Eriol replied.

Tomoyo shrugged her shoulders. "She really works hard. At this rate, she will become the next student council president." Tomoyo commented.

"I wouldn't be surprised by that, Tomoyo." Naoko said. Tomoyo smiled as the bell sounded.

"But I doubt that she really needs to be there. Usually it is only the president who is called. If you ask me, Watanabe-san has a crush on her and just wants to have some time with her before he graduates." Chiharu suddenly said.

"Chiharu!" Both Naoko and Tomoyo exclaimed.

"What?" Chiharu asked innocently.

"Really, Chiharu…you and your conspiracy theories." Tomoyo said.

Chiharu smiled. "We'll never really know." She replied. Naoko and Tomoyo shook their heads. Eriol couldn't help but laugh but suppressed it. The teacher then came in.

In the meantime, Sakura and Ryu made their way to the Principal's office. The secretary made them wait as the principal was still on the phone. They sat there at the receiving room as they heard the bell sound. Soon, the principal opened the door and ushered them inside. "Please take a seat, you two. I know you are wondering why I called you two in." The Principal said as he sat in front of them, behind his desk. Ryu and Sakura just exchanged glances but said nothing. The Principal smiled. He was already more than fifty years of age. His face showed that he was a pleasant person, wise and yet stern and strict. He had worked in the school for the past thirty years.

"I have just spoken with some people and have arranged that all officers of the school are going to have leadership training. I called you here to tell you that this weekend, the student council will have theirs and the weekend after, you will go again but this time, help facilitate the leadership training of the class and club officers." The Principal said.

He then handed them with the memorandum and itinerary of the leadership training to be conducted. Sakura and Ryu accepted the copies and started reading them. "Yamaguchi-sensei, this means that we will have to spends two weekends in school?" Sakura clarified.

"That is right. It will be conducted here, well that is with regards to the student council's leadership training. I am still working to have the next leadership training in the Miyagi prefecture. I am still working out some details and I will hand you the letters next week if all goes well. My friend there is an excellent trainer. It would be ideal to have him next week too. He will be in Tokyo this weekend so he has agreed to come and counsel you this weekend. He has to go back next week so I am arranging that you go to him there." The Principal answered.

"Now I know that the student council will be very busy because you are arranging for the seniors' college fair. But it is a must that you have leadership training." He added.

"We understand, Yamaguchi-sensei. I will bring it up during the student council meeting this afternoon." Ryu answered.

The Principal then handed them their respective excuse letters for being tardy to give to their teachers. He then accompanied them to the door. Outside the principal's office, Ryu said, "What do you think?"

Sakura let out an exasperated breath. She then answered, "If it must be done, we can't exactly do anything about it. We just have to figure out how to survive the following weeks."

"It's going to be tough."

"I know, especially for you since you too have to start thinking of college. Just tell me if there are some things that you need me to takeover." Sakura said as she smiled at him.

"I'm glad that you are my vice president. Do you need me to walk you to class?" Ryu offered.

Sakura smiled and answered, "No, thanks. You're also late. Between the two of us, you can't afford to lose more on your studies since you're graduating. See you later then." Ryu nodded as he watched Sakura run towards her class. He smirked and went on his way.

(to be continued…)

It seems that all things are just in away, pulling Shaoran and Sakura apart but in the same time well together…or so it seems. I hope you guys still stick around 'til the end of this story to find out what really happens to those two. Thanks so much for those who read and especially to those who sent in their reviews. I appreciate it very much. Please do still review. Thanks.

Michiko


	4. Prepare

Chapter 4 Prepare

Sakura knocked on the door before she opened it. She bowed to the teacher and apologized for being late. She then gave him the excuse letter from the principal. She waited for the teacher to nod at her before she proceeded to her seat. When she was walking back, her teacher commented, "Seiji Narumi is a great mentor, Sakura. You're lucky to be chosen to learn from him." Sakura seemed surprised with the comment. She turned and smiled. She bowed at her teacher and sat.

"But I'm sorry, Sakura, I need to give a surprise quiz on the topic I just taught. If your grade slips, I'll let you have special credit." The teacher said.

Sakura nodded as she took out paper as the others did as well. "Hey, what was the topic you guys just discussed?" Sakura asked Tomoyo before the quiz started.

"Sensei, talked about the fall of Rome and the rise of feudalism in Europe." Tomoyo replied.

"Ok, thanks." Sakura answered. She did an advance reading on the subject. She wished that her reading was enough to get her through the quiz.

Sakura was really nervous. She wasn't sure if she would be able to answer enough questions to pass. Their teacher then started to dictate the questions. As he read each question, Sakura was a bit relieved that at least the questions weren't that foreign to her but rather really familiar. She wasn't sure if they were right but she wrote the first thing that came to her mind.

She said a silent prayer as the quiz finished and the teacher asked them to pass their papers forward and had the people in front exchange papers. They started to check the papers. After a while, the teacher told them to tally all the scores. He then asked which students got the perfect score and give him the papers. A classmate stood up and handed the paper to the teacher. It was surprising that only one student got the perfect score.

The teacher then read out the name on the paper. He wasn't that surprised when he realized who it was. It was just like he had originally expected. "Well Sakura, you didn't need those extra credits after all. You got the highest score." He said.

Sakura was surprised herself that she had gotten a perfect score. She always liked history and it was something that captivated her interest but even so, she never expected that she would get a high score with just doing some advance reading the night before. At least it paid off and the principal wouldn't start reprimanding her that she was letting her grades slip.

Her friends and classmates cheered a little as the teacher started to make a roll-call first from those who had only one mistake and then two mistakes and so on. The teacher announced the names and their respective scores. He then gave them their assignments before finally dismissing them for the day.

"That was amazing, Sakura. History has always been your strong suit." Tomoyo commented.

Sakura smiled shyly. "Nope…I just got lucky that the advance reading I did last night was right on today's topic." She replied, trying hard not to blush.

"Even after a concert, you still have the energy to study? You really are something else, Sakura." Eriol commented.

Sakura couldn't help but blush. "Will you guys just quit it? It's no big deal. It's not something that's amazing ok. I'm just lucky." They smiled as their next teacher entered and started class.

After class that day, Sakura stretched and said, "I really don't like math. I don't know how in the world I'm going to finish that pile of homework tonight."

Tomoyo couldn't help but laugh as she fixed her bag to go home. "You always say that but you always do good in exams and never flunk. With Li-sempai helping you out, well, I'm sure you'll finish it." She said. Sakura started to fix her own things.

"No. Not this time. I'd rather finish it on my own. I've made a decision. From now on, math is my friend even if it's a little complicated. I can't always depend on Shaoran." Sakura said.

Naoko, Chiharu and Tomoyo looked at each other. That sure was a big leap forward. They knew that even if Sakura was very intelligent in her own right, she did have a lot of trouble with math. But she found it bearable because Shaoran would always teach her about it since it was his forte among others.

Having Sakura say that she didn't need Shaoran to help her out anymore and that she would be really doing it on her own, it was really something. They weren't sure if it was a good thing but they knew that it would demand a great effort from her. They just dismissed that there was anything wrong with it as Sakura got up and excused herself to head to the student council meeting.

As Sakura left her classroom, she saw Shaoran standing there with his bag. He seemed to be waiting for her. She stood there and looked at him as he straightened out and walked towards her upon realizing that she was there.

"Hey, Sakura. I thought that we could walk home together. Rika had some shopping trip with her friends so she said it was alright if I headed home. I really, really need to talk to you. I need to ask you about something." Shaoran said.

"I'm sorry, Shaoran. I've got a student council meeting. I can't. You go on without me because it's going to be long. We have a lot to talk about." Sakura answered.

"It's ok. I'll wait for you. It's not like I have something to do." Shaoran said.

"No. It's ok, Shaoran, really. Just take it easy, Shaoran. I'm really sorry. I better go." Sakura said as she started to run towards the meeting. She was running a little late. Shaoran watched her go.

It felt somewhat weird. He knew Sakura enough to know that there was something up. He just shrugged it aside. He knew that the student council had it way over their heads. He headed home, decided that he would call Sakura up later that evening and have the talk then.

Sakura hated the fact that she had to avoid him. She had never pushed him away like that before on purpose. She knew that if she kept it up, pretty soon Shaoran would notice it and confront her. She dreaded that day but she knew that she cannot turn back. It was for his happiness after all. He would hate her for this but it didn't matter to her. She would rather have that than see him in such misery that he so much denied that he was in.

She knew that he had such a stoic nature around him and he rarely, or rather never, showed any sign of emotion. He may show weakness at times but it becomes quickly evident that it has turned into his strength. He never openly showed his true self to others, only to a very few people like herself. As his best friend, she had learned to read things in him actions even without sharing words. She knew how it had taken him by surprise and consequently hurt him.

It was better that way no matter how hard or painful it might mean to her. She was going to protect him at all costs. That was her only consolation. It was the only thought that she allowed to matter. She was going to continue to avoid him.

The week passed rather slowly for Sakura. It was hard trying to think of different excuses everyday to Shaoran if she happened to accidentally bump into him at the corridor. Pretty soon, Shaoran stopped asking why. He found out from Ryu that they were going to have a student council leadership training that weekend so they were all very busy trying to prepare everything. It was hard to talk to Ryu sometimes too as he would scramble about like all the other student council members as they made preparations for their leadership training and the upcoming college fair for the seniors.

They had a lot of paperwork to get done and have signed by the different people involved. As student council, they also had to follow up on the different universities as all preparations were left to the student council. Guidance and counsel were only given by the faculty members as they had other responsibilities to attend to.

Even through the hard work, the week still passed painfully for Sakura. It seemed that she wasn't doing enough to create a valid reason to stay away from Shaoran. She hated lying and he could always tell when she was being untruthful towards him. She needed to have this valid thing that would make her reasons believable somehow.

It was somehow a little relief that Rika had started to take up most of Shaoran's time as his girl friend though Sakura couldn't entirely deny that it still pained her because she had to choose to let go of her best friend.

On Friday afternoon, Sakura got out of school late because of a student council meeting. As she was making her way towards the gate, Tomoyo called out. Sakura turned and saw her running up to catch her.

"Hey, Tomoyo. Practice?" Sakura said when she caught up with her.

"Yeah. Sensei gave us new musical scores to study. It was a little hard since there were a lot of new members and we had to start polishing our voices to make us into a choir again." Tomoyo said. Sakura smiled as they started to walk.

"Hey Tomoyo…well I was thinking…I passed this ad yesterday, you know about the ice skating club near the mall…well I was thinking of signing up. What do you think?" Sakura asked.

"Ice skating, huh? It's pretty cool if you ask me. But don't you already have a lot of stuff in your hands and you still want to join?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura smiled. She had a feeling that she would say that. That was what her brother and father said last night when she told them about her plan. Her father had given her his consent if that was what she really wanted to do. Touya was a little uneasy with it but still told her that if that was what she really wanted, then she should go for it.

"I know, I know. But I know I can do it. It's just going to be another hobby I wish to pursue, that's all." Sakura explained.

"It looks like you already have your mind set. I really think it's cool. Just don't push yourself too hard, Sakura. I know that you are very athletic and all but just don't over do it." Sakura smiled again.

"I know, Tomoyo. Thanks. It just feels like I need to go for it, you know, try it out. If it doesn't work out, at least I've tried right? I'd be happy with just that. Don't worry. It's not like I'm going to neglect any of my responsibilities in school and towards my friends." Sakura said, almost laughing.

Tomoyo smiled. "Does Li-sempai know about this? What does he think?" Tomoyo suddenly asked.

Sakura's face fell a little but tried very hard to hide it. She just masked it with a smile. She had completely cut off Shaoran from her life during the past week. "No. He doesn't need to know and please don't go around telling him either." Sakura answered as she smiled again. Tomoyo looked at her, unsure. "Besides, I already know what he's going to say anyway. He'd tell me 'what are you thinking?' or 'do you have a death wish or something?' In the end he would just end up agreeing with me anyway." Sakura explained.

Tomoyo laughed a little and said, "Yeah. I'm pretty sure that's what he'd say and do." Sakura started laughing too. They then went to the skating ring and Sakura signed up. Training started the following week. Sakura gulped inwardly but she hid it from Tomoyo. She convinced herself that it was what she needed to do. It was the perfect escape that she needed, away from school and away from Shaoran.

Sakura took the course 6:30 – 7:30 pm. In that way, when her cheer practice started as well as a little gymnastics training that their coach would have them do, as well as student council meetings every now and then, she wouldn't have to rush things and would have time for all of it.

They watched the skaters there for awhile. Sakura and Tomoyo couldn't help but smile in amazement as they saw those athletes. It was amazing. They showed much skill and confidence. They both knew that it was hard to skate. So just seeing them make it into an artistic expression was simply awesome. It was different watching ice skaters in TV. It was much more spectacular watching them up close. Sakura wondered if she'd be able to be as good as them. She told herself that she would try her best.

After awhile, Sakura and Tomoyo parted ways. When she reached home, her brother and father still weren't in. She made them some dinner. She headed to her room. After taking a warm bath, she sat in front of the mirror and started combing her long hair. Her cell phone then started to ring.

The name registered to be Eriol's. She smiled and answered it. "Hey Sakura, just called to wish you good luck on your leadership training tomorrow."

Sakura smiled and replied, "Thanks, Eriol. I'm a little nervous actually."

"Nervous? You?"

"Why? Is that so unbelievable?"

"Well…yeah." Sakura started laughing.

"You don't have to be nervous, Sakura. I'm sure you'll do just fine." Eriol said.

Sakura smiled before saying, "Thanks for the confidence, Eriol. I'll keep that in mind when I go to the leadership training tomorrow."

"Ok. Well, goodbye and good night Sakura."

"Good night, Eriol. Thanks so much and bye." She then set her phone down and started combing her hair again. It was already drying out.

It wasn't even a whole minute when her phone started to ring again. She checked who it was calling and it registered Ryu's name. "Watanabe-san? What can I do for you?" Sakura answered.

"Sorry to call this late, Sakura but Seiji-san called me and told me that there were some changes in the itinerary. I'll forward his message on what we need to bring tomorrow. He said that what was originally scheduled tomorrow will be moved to Sunday. He will make everything fit on Sunday."

"Suddenly I feel nervous about this whole thing." Sakura commented.

"I know what you mean but that's not even half of it. You'll understand and share my sentiments once you've read the list of things he has asked us to bring."

"Now I'm scared, Watanabe-san." She then heard Ryu start to laugh on the other end.

"Don't be. We're in this together. I'm just as anxious as you." Ryu commented.

"Forgive me for saying this but I'm really having a hard time picturing you to be nervous about tomorrow." Sakura said.

"Actually I was about to say that about you." Ryu answered.

Sakura smiled and shook her head. She then laid back in her bed. "I guess we're just working ourselves too much, Watanabe-san."

"You know you can call me Ryu. We've been friends for a long time now."

"Yeah I know. It's just you are my superior and my senior."

"Yeah but it won't be long before I will no longer be your superior, perhaps still your senior."

"Hmm. Ok, Ryu-san. I'm not about to argue with you." Sakura answered and then laughed.

She heard him smirk. He then said, "Hey, I know it's none of my business but are you and Shaoran are fighting or something? I know we are busy but…I don't know…it's just he just commented that he's having a hard time contacting you so I was a little hoping too much to get in touch with you since he said that there could be something wrong with your phone."

"Tell him nice try. I know you're with him right now and no. We're not fighting and tell him he didn't do anything. I just have a lot of things to deal with so I usually put my phone into silent mode or I turn it off. Thanks, Ryu-san." Sakura said.

"How'd you know? What gave it off?" Ryu asked.

"Because I know him and I know you. You should have just left it at student council matters. I appreciate the concern, don't get me wrong, Ryu-san. There was just too many details. You should have stopped at hoping to get in touch with me. You could have just dropped the part where you said that he said that there could be something wrong with my phone. If I you ask me, I'd say he's even listening right now, am I right?"

Ryu and Shaoran looked at each other. Their other friends were judging their expression. Shaoran tried to get the phone from Ryu but Ryu fought him off and just turned and said, "You're sharp as always. Anyway, I'll send the text message sent to me by Seiji-san. I know you have some homework to do too so see you tomorrow. Good night, Sakura."

"Good night, Ryu-san. Don't get brainwashed too much by Shaoran. Bye." Sakura said as hang up.

Ryu just sent her the message and turned to Shaoran. "I know she's sharp but I didn't know she is that sharp." Ryu commented as he sat back down as he joined the others.

"Well that's Sakura for you. I did tell you that she'd realize it sooner or later. You should have just stuck with the student council business and I did tell you that we're not fighting. She's just busy." Shaoran replied.

(to be continued…)

Hmm…things are still far from starting to reveal the truth. Please bear with me. Thanks to those who sent in their reviews and those who read it. Thanks. Please do continue to review. Thanks again.

Michiko


	5. SC Training

Chapter 5 SC Training

Saturday morning finally came. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and this was usually the day of the week where Sakura would allow herself to sleep in a little bit, to catch a few Z's that she would pull off during the week. It was still early. Her alarm hadn't even sounded yet. She checked her clock. It registered 5:30. As in the land of the rising sun, the sun was already up and the light around her that everything and everyone was going to start waking up soon for the day. She didn't have to be in school until 8.

She figured that her nerves were getting into her again. Her anxiousness of what they would be facing that weekend was somewhat daunting. It was hard not to give in to it. Sakura allowed herself to lay in her bed and tell herself how silly she was being. It wasn't like she was going out to war or anything like that. It was only a leadership training that the principal wanted them to have. A simple leadership training session over the weekend.

After what seemed like forever, her clock's alarm started to blare. It was already 6 am. Sakura forced herself to get up as she turned off the alarm. She stretched to rub out some of her drowsiness away. Sakura started to fix her bed when her phone signaled that she had received a message. She looked at it and was surprised to see that the message was from Shaoran.

'…_**good luck on your leadership training…don't let Ryu have you do all the work, ok?...-Shaoran' **_

It made her smile. It was so much like him. She decided to reply, _**'thanks – Sakura'**_

Sakura knew that there was a chance that Shaoran would reply or call having her reply to his message but for some reason, she felt that it was alright. She knew that Shaoran would eventually delete it from his phone, not that Rika ever browsed through his phone but somehow it really seemed that it was alright. If he answered, Sakura was determined to ignore the message and not answer anymore.

True enough, Shaoran answered, _**'hey! Good morning! I hope I didn't wake you, well, actually that's not true. In case you decided to sleep in and not attend or something, I thought about talking you out of it.'**_

Sakura read his message. _Idiot. _She commented to herself as she sat her phone down on the table. Did Shaoran really think that I'd back out on my responsibility? But Sakura found herself smiling. _At least, he's in a good mood now. Looks like he's really happy...I guess I'm really doing the right thing by avoiding him. _Sakura told herself and headed to the bathroom to freshen up and prepare for the day ahead.

After, she put on her uniform and gathered her stuff then made her way downstairs. As she was walking down the stairs, she could smell the fragrance of pancakes and waffles coming from the kitchen. Her father greeted her when she entered. She smiled at him and greeted him a good morning.

"It smells great in here, 'tou-chan." Salura said as she went and got herself some fresh fruits and cut them in halves. She made some for her dad and brother too.

It didn't take long before Touya joined them at the kitchen. "It's unusual to see you up before me." Touya commented towards Sakura.

"Yeah well I've got leadership training today so I can't sleep in." Sakura answered.

They sat down and started to eat. "I've made you some lunch, Sakura. Don't forget to bring it." Fujitaka said.

Sakura smiled and thanked him. "I will be late tonight, you two. There are some things that I will be doing at the university." Fujitaka reminded them.

"I won't be home early either, Sakura. I have a part-time job from 4-9. Call me if there's something up." Touya said. Sakura nodded.

"According to the itinerary, today's sessions will finish at 5. Ryu-san called last night that it was changed. More or less, the time we are to finish would still be the same. Will you be having dinner here, 'nii-chan?" Sakura said. Touya shook his head as he brought the dirty dishes to the sink and started cleaning them.

"Well I'm off you two. Have a nice day." Fujitaka said as he got his suitcase and headed to the door. Sakura and Touya bid him goodbye before finishing with the dishes. Sakura placed the lunch her father made in her bag as they both locked the house and went their separate ways.

Sakura walked towards school. It was still 7:10 and walking to school took about 25 minutes. She knew she was early but she didn't seem to mind. Walking alone and taking in the new spring morning made her smile. The cherry blossoms were still at bloom and with the wind blowing at them, it seemed to take her troubles away for awhile. As she walked her phone started to ring. She stopped and took out her phone. She checked who was calling her that early in the morning. She was rather surprised when she realized that it was Ryu calling her.

Somehow deep inside she wished that he was calling to tell her that the training was postponed or cancelled. Yeah. She would really want that. "Hello? Ryu-san. Is there anything the matter and you are calling this early?" Sakura said, with a smile on her face.

"Oh nothing much. Are you on your way to school?"

"Yeah. Why?" Sakura asked as her subconscious mind was already celebrating as she thought that it was the moment he would be telling her that it wasn't going to happen that day.

"Nothing. I just thought we'd walk to school together." Ryu said.

Sakura was surprised and a little disappointed that she didn't get her wish. She then started to look around her and saw Ryu was standing a few meters away behind her. She smiled at him and closed her phone. She then walked towards him.

"You could have just called out." Sakura said as she approached him.

Ryu smiled at her as they started walking. "Well you seem to be in a good mood and thinking about something so I thought that calling out to you this early in the morning might just be a little too much if not noisy." Sakura started to laugh.

"Well anyway, it looks like you really are anxious as you are early like me." Sakura said to change the subject.

"You're half right."

"But I'm half wrong. So what's the other reason?"

Ryu smirked and said, "I had a feeling that you'd be early so as president and as a gentleman, I can't let a lady and a vice president wait by herself, can I?" Sakura started to laugh a little bit.

"I swear if I didn't know better I'd say there is something wrong with you guys since you are all beginning to sound such sweet-talkers. But since I know better, well I'll leave it at that." Sakura commented.

Ryu started to laugh. "Well with Shaoran finally out of the picture, can you blame us that we try and vie for your affections? You are a pretty girl." Ryu replied.

"Now you're teasing me." Sakura said as they both started to laugh.

Someone then suddenly came in between them and placed an arm around their shoulders. "It looks like everyone is happy today." Came the cheerful voice of Morimoto Shiho, the student council secretary.

"Hey Shiho." Sakura greeted.

"Hey Morimoto." Ryu said as he took off Shiho's arm from his shoulder. Shiho was the youngest among all the student council officers. She was the from the freshmen batch of the year. She was shorter than Sakura. She had red hair which was cut short. She was always very cheerful, a little childish at times but she had proven that she was quite capable in handling the office she was elected in.

As they continued walking, they were finally met up by Uchiha Kenishiro, the student council treasurer. He was tall and thin. He had short golden brown hair. He wore glasses. He could be also considered handsome in his own right. He participated in basket ball together with Ryu. He was the most serious looking among their group but his looks can deceive anyone because like most of them, he had an outgoing, fun personality. Also like Ryu, he belonged to the senior class.

Ryu Watanabe. He was a little shorter than Kenishiro but about 1/3 a foot taller than Sakura. He was part of the basket ball team in the starting line up. He was leaner than Kenishiro. He was also more outspoken than Kenishiro. He was very popular especially with the girls in school.

He belonged to the same circle of friends as with Shaoran in the senior class. Him, Shaoran and a few of their friends were considered the 'Knights of the Round Table' as they have been called by their admirers. He had silvery, blue eyes and light brown hair. He was a natural choice for the position as president.

Having their chemistry, it wasn't hard to get along with each other. They made their way to the campus building with fifteen minutes to spare. They headed straight to the principal's office as they had been instructed. When they got there, they were surprised that the Principal and another man were already there. They knew they were early but it seemed that the older men were earlier.

The Principal then said, "This is Seiji Narumi, your training instructor."

They bowed and started to introduce themselves. The very old, hunched over man just smiled at them and told them to follow him outside. They looked at each other but said nothing as they followed Narumi outside. The Principal had already entrusted them to Narumi as he did not follow anymore.

They were lead near the school's entrance where a mound of soil, cement, tools, plants, gloves and other paraphernalia were dumped. They looked at each other. Was there somebody being hired to use them to create something for the school? How come they didn't get a memo about it? They looked at each other.

Narumi looked at the materials before them and had his hands behind his back. He then turned to them. "Go and change out of your school uniforms." He suddenly said.

No one moved. They couldn't comprehend why. Narumi smiled and then showed them a large plan. "President, Watanabe-kun, you will be in charge of the water mechanics. Be sure that the fountain will flow. Vice president, Kinomoto-chan, you will be in charge of making those plants in the pots into bonsai and planting them. Secretary, Morimoto-chan, you will be in charge of re-planting all those plants and flowers in plastic into the soil around the fountain. Finally, treasurer, Uchiha-kun, you are in charge of beautifying the outer borders of the fountain using those tiles over there. This is the drawn plan for the fountain. Follow it carefully and this will be your task today. You're time limit will be five this afternoon for today. It will be too much work for today so you have until tomorrow at noon to finish this project. Good luck." Narumi said as he walked away.

"Ah, excuse me, Seiji-san we-"

Uchiha started but Narumi quickly said, "This is your task. It is a simple task. Are you telling me that you cannot do it?" Uchiha was silenced and they looked at each other. Narumi then started to walk away.

"Let's go change before we start planning how we are going to do this." Ryu suggested which everyone seemed to agree upon. They quickly changed into comfortable jeans and shirts and went back to the project given to them.

They set the bags on the grass nearby while they headed back to their tasks. "I've never planted anything in my life before." Shiho commented.

"I can show you how to replant, Shiho. After I've done the bonsai, we can replant them together." Sakura said. She laid a reassuring hand on Shiho's shoulder.

Shiho looked at her, "You know how to plant?"

Sakura smiled at her. "Yeah, my dad showed me when I was little. I help him tend the garden. But I don't exactly know how to do bonsai. I've seen it done but I haven't done it before. I'm afraid of killing the plant." Sakura answered.

"Well just do your best, Sakura. If you've seen it done, I believe that you can do it. I don't know about Ryu but I've never really used cement before or tiling but I've seen it done. All we can do is do our best. We learn from there." Kenishiro said.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Well I guess we just have to make this as a learning process. Landscaping is not my thing so let's just do what we can, you guys. Speak up if you need some help and we'll see what we can do together." Ryu said as he started to go over the plan. He and Kenishiro were in charge of the base of the project. They had to coordinate.

While the guys started to assemble the base, Sakura showed Shiho how to replant. When Shiho was more confident, she knew that she had to wait a little bit for Ryu and Kenishiro to finish what at least a part of it so that she would start replanting them in the soil. She just looked at the plan and started to go over her head how to prioritize which plant goes where or which flower goes where so that she would be able to work faster and more efficient.

Sakura, on the other hand, started with the bonsai. Even if she only had to do five plants, it was a daunting task. Just creating one required four-five hours at least in expert hands but she was required to do five in 13 hours all in all. She took a deep breath and started. There was no other way. It was better to start than let the hindrance stop her. Seiji Narumi believed in her, believed that she could do it so she thought, yeah, maybe I really could.

They started working when water started to spray all over them. Sakura, Kenishiro and Shiho quickly stood and ran a little bit farther. They weren't that soaked but they were wet.

"Ryu!" Kenishiro and Sakura exclaimed.

"I'm sorry. I was trying to fix the water pipes for the fountain." Ryu said when he closed the faucet and approached them. He wasn't spared too. He was as wet as all of them.

They headed to their bags and got out their towels to wipe them dry. They finally knew why they were asked to bring. Shiho then took out her camera and said, "Well, as the secretary, I'm in charge of documentation. How about having a picture?"

"While we're still wet?" Kenishiro said.

"Why not? Documentation would be authentic that way." Shiho answered as she clicked the timer of the camera and positioned for the picture.

After, Shiho took the camera and placed it around her neck as they went back to work. Every now and then she would take shots while they worked. She still couldn't start hers since Ryu and Kenishiro were still applying the final decorative boulders and were waiting for the cement to dry.

It was actually only Sakura who was actually working none stop. Bonsai was really a big task. Sakura even surprised herself that she was able to finish two before lunch started.

"Ok, now I'm just hoping that I didn't kill those plants. We won't know that until a few days have passed." Sakura said as she joined them where they were standing and checking the product of their labor so far.

It was already twelve in the afternoon. They decided to have lunch. When they were about to go there, Ryu slipped and injured his arm. They quickly went to his side and Sakura looked at the injury, "It's not deep. It's just a scrape." She then took out her handkerchief and wrapped it around his cut. Ryu thanked Sakura as Kenishiro offered him a hand to get up. Shiho, all the while, just took pictures of what was happening.

"I'm sure you did fine. As long as you didn't take out all the roots, I think it's ok." Ryu said.

"I guess you're right." Sakura commented. He smiled at her. They walked back to their bags and took out their lunch. They sat on the grass, under a tree and decided to have lunch there.

When Sakura opened her lunch, she was surprised that her father had made the effort in putting in all her favorite food items there. She smiled. Shiho noticed and peered over a little and said, "It looks good. You made that yourself?"

Sakura smiled and replied, "I was about to but my dad already did it for me before he went to work this morning. It was my turn to cook breakfast but dad took it instead."

"Really? Cool! My dad doesn't even know how to cook." Shiho said as she sat back down and ate her lunch.

Sakura laughed as Ryu and Kenishiro grinned. They knew that Sakura had already lost her mother and that her father was the only one who was taking care of her and her brother. Sakura offered to share her food with others as they all offered each other theirs.

Sakura took out her phone and told them to smile as she took a picture of all of them. They had fun during the break they allotted themselves. They took wacky pictures, simple pictures.

In Ryu's phone, he had a picture of him and Sakura. She asked him to pass the picture to her, which he did. They laughed and talked as they gathered their trash and fixed their lunch boxes and replaced them. Their mood was light and re-energized as they went back to work after 30 minutes of break.

From the building, Narumi kept his eye on them. He couldn't help but smile. He had dealt with people who ranged from adolescence to adults. They would always contradict and fight him because they came for training but he would have them do seemingly crazy and unrelated things. This group before him wanted to fight back but instead of having wasted their time in arguing or simply rebelling, they came together and actually started.

"They have great potential." Narumi suddenly said. He knew that his friend was there. The Principal stood next to him and looked at his students outside working.

"Yes. They have much potential. They will be able to blaze their own paths." He commented.

"Indeed they will. Well the morning is still young. Let us see how far they are willing to go." Narumi said as he went to sit. There was a hot cup of tea in front of him. He took it and started to drink it.

(to be continued…)

I know you are also wondering what kind of leadership training they found themselves into. I hope that you continue to journey with me to find out. Thanks for those who read and sent in their reviews. Thanks.

Michiko


	6. Meaning of SCT

Chapter 6 Meaning of SCT

It was already five o'clock. They were able to do some significant work that day. More than half of the project was complete. A lot of the plants were already replanted and the water was already running. There were still a lot of tiling to do and replanting, not to mention one more bonsai tree to be done. But on the dot, Narumi came and ushered them to head home. He allowed them to change into something clean before they headed home. He still hadn't explained what it all meant or if it really had something to do with leadership training.

"Do you guys want to grab a bite before we head home?" Ryu suggested.

All nodded. It had been a long day's work and it would be nice to have some early dinner and hit the sac once they got home and freshened up.

When they already ordered and were waiting for food to arrive, Kenishiro couldn't help but comment, "No matter what angle I look at it, I still don't know what it all means. I've been thinking about it the entire day and I still don't get why we have to do some gardening and landscaping."

"Yeah. I thought we were to have leadership training? I can't believe I just took a crash course of gardening 101." Shiho replied as she pouted and crossed her arms. She then laid back in her chair.

Ryu smirked and Sakura laughed. Sakura started to fiddle with the straw in her drink and said, "I'm as confused as you but you know, I don't think Yamaguchi-sensei would agree to this if we weren't to benefit of some sort."

"What? Get gardening skills?" Shiho replied, still pouting. Sakura laughed again.

Ryu leaned at the table and said, "I have to go with Sakura on this one. Yamaguchi-sensei went the extra mile to get Seiji-san as our mentor for this. He's even working that he'd be the one to conduct our next leadership training with the class and club officers."

"What? Then we have to go through this all over again?" Shiho commented. Her face sank with horror.

"I have no idea if we are going to have the same thing but I think we will be more like facilitators then." Sakura replied as she smiled at her across the table. The girls were seated by the window while the guys sat next to them towards the aisles. Ryu and Sakura were seated next to each other while Shiho and Kenishiro were sitting across the table from them. Shiho took pleasure in taking pictures of them again.

"I think I can handle that. I wonder if we are going to make them do what Seiji-san had us do." Shiho replied thoughtfully.

"I doubt that." Kenishiro answered.

"Yeah. I think we're heading off to Miyagi prefecture for it and I really doubt that he's going to make us do this stuff all over again." Ryu said. Sakura nodded.

"Well, either way I'm happy to take on the part of facilitator this time." Shiho answered as their food arrived.

As they were eating, Sakura's phone began to ring. Sakura took it when she saw Eriol's name pop up. "Hey Eriol. What's up?"

"I've got a problem."

Sakura's face registered concern as she asked, "What?"

"Shinzo Mizuhara is being asked to perform at the school's foundation day in a couple of months." When Sakura realized his predicament, she tried not to react too much since she might give off Eriol's secret.

"That is a problem. I have to come clean with you know because I can't make this decision alone. You'll need the support of all of us. Well, at least two of us. What do you want to do?" Sakura said.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that. You can tell Watanabe-san if you must. It will be your discretion if you want to tell the rest of the student council." Eriol said.

"Ok. I'll call you back." Sakura said as she hung up. "Sorry about that guys." Sakura said.

"Eriol. Isn't he that Shinzo Mizuhara look alike new student?" Shiho commented. Sakura just smiled and nodded.

"Yeah I've heard of him. He's your classmate?" Kenishiro asked.

"Yeah. He is." Sakura answered. Sakura typed a message in her phone and pressed the sent button to Ryu. Sakura continued typing as to not draw attention and sent a message to Eriol telling him that she would be talking to Ryu after dinner. Ryu got his phone and was surprised to see the message was from Sakura. It read, _'…can I talk to you later? It's really important…' _Ryu and Sakura's eyes met and he gave a small nod.

Then, as they were wrapping up dinner, Shiho's phone rang. Shiho took it and upon realizing who was calling, she quickly got a piece of paper and pen from her bag and started to jolt down what was being dictated to her. After the call, she quickly showed them what was written on the paper.

"We have problems with some of the university schedules. Some will be having exams on these dates while some on these dates. We have to figure out something that will do a compromise with all of them." Shiho said.

"We can't postpone the fair to next month so we have to think of something to make it work this month. How about we make break it into two parts? Universities that can attend on that day will and then the week after, all the universities that weren't able to come to first time. Kenishiro, would that be more expensive?" Ryu said.

"Well technically, it will be the same since we are just going to split the budget on that into two." Kenishiro answered.

"But what about our teachers? I mean, the seniors will be missing two meetings of their classes." Shiho pointed out. All seemed to reflect.

"That is if we don't put it on weekdays…what if we schedule it on a Saturday? We don't have classes then." Sakura proposed.

"Saturday? I doubt that a lot of the seniors is going to like that." Kenishito commented.

"Yeah I know but it's not like there is still much of a choice. The schedule conflicts and we can't push this off. You guys are already required anyway." Sakura said.

"She's right. It's not like we have any other choice than this one unless we really put it off 'til next month." Shiho said.

Ryu became reflective. "I suppose that this is the only way to go. But I am thinking about the leadership training of club and class officers. It will fall on a weekend too. That part is still indefinite."

"Can we push that off until the first weekend of next month? Plans are still not final yet. We have to make a choice before Yamaguchi-sensei fixes the date." Sakura said.

Ryu said, "I suppose we can push that off. This is more pressing than the leadership training since universities will start holding entrance examinations soon."

Ryu then addressed Shiho, "I'll leave that to you. Advise them of our plan and call me as soon as they have decided already. I'll relay the information to Yamaguchi-sensei as soon as possible. I'm sure he'll understand." They all nodded in response. After paying up, Kenishiro and Shiho went their separate ways as Sakura and Ryu started walking.

"So? What's up? What seems to be Eriol's problem?" Ryu asked.

"Well you must have heard that Eriol is the Shinzo look-alike in school right?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Well the thing is…Eriol is…really Shinzo. It's his stage name and he doesn't want it to be leaked out in school. He just likes to be one of us, you know, a normal student. Promise you won't tell anyone, ok?" Sakura said.

Ryu seemed really surprised with the revelation. "Of course, of course. I won't tell anyone. I promise. Damn. I didn't see this one coming." Ryu said.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. "I know what you mean. I just met him last weekend at his concert and then I meet him the next day only to find out he's my new classmate. Yeah, I share the sentiments." Sakura said. Ryu grinned.

"I'm guessing that's not the problem." Ryu then said.

Sakura shook her head and said, "The school seems to have invited him as Shinzo to perform for our foundation day. He's really apprehensive in accepting. What do you think?"

"Can't he say that his schedule is booked or something?"

"I was thinking about that myself. But I was also thinking why not just go through with it and him as Eriol call in sick that day. But either way, he will need our help. I can't do this alone." Sakura said.

"In the end, it will be his decision. You have my support in the event that he will need our help in trying to cover up his other, very popular self." Ryu commented. Sakura smiled at him and thanked him. Ryu walked Sakura home.

By the door, "Thanks, Ryu-san, for walking me home and for your help." Sakura smiled at him which Ryu returned.

"It's no problem at all. I'll see you tomorrow then? I'll meet you at the corner by the park, like this morning."

Sakura nodded and replied, "It will be cool to figure out why he made us do the things we're doing tomorrow."

"Yeah. It would. I was never good at plumbing but it looks like I took a crash course like you guys."

Sakura laughed and said, "We all took a crash course. Well at any rate, we're just amateurs at this and if anyone asks, we're all in it together."

Ryu smirked. "Well, good night, Sakura. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Ryu-san."

Ryu then went on his way and Sakura went inside. It was only 7 in the evening so she knew that her brother still wasn't home. She was really surprised to she that the lights were on when she entered the house.

"Took you long enough. I told you to call me if something was up." Touya called out from the kitchen when Sakura passed the living room. Yukito was there too. It seemed that they were doing some project.

"I thought that you'd be at work 'til 9? Hey, Yukito-san." Sakura said as she entered the living room. Touya was clearing some stuff up at the cupboard.

"We were given a day off. You had dinner yet?" Touya said as Sakura nodded.

"How was your day, Sakura?" Yukito asked as he smiled at her.

Sakura smiled back and replied, "Tiring is all I can say. Listen, I'll go and take a bath and start with my math homework. I got to get up early again tomorrow for the last day of the leadership training. In case I fall asleep, good night."

As Sakura made her way upstairs, Touya said, "Doesn't Li usually help you with math?"

Sakura stopped and didn't look back but replied, "He can't now. Besides, it's about time I face my problem in math alone. I can't always depend on him." Sakura made her way to her room.

Touya and Yukito looked at each other. "Is it really 'can't' or 'shouldn't'?" Yukito said.

"I don't know." Touya replied. They continued to work but both really found Sakura's answer odd.

The next day, Ryu waited for Sakura at the spot where they met the day before. He didn't have to wait long as Sakura greeted him with a warm smile. They headed to school together and were soon joined by Shiho and Kenishiro. They greeted Narumi and the Principal first before finally getting back to work.

With Ryu done with his job and Kenishiro doing final applications of the tiles, all was left was the replanting. Ryu started to help Shiho to plant all that was left. When Kenishiro finished applying the last of the tiles, he too started helping her. Sakura finished the last of the bonsai trees that she had to do and replanted them as well. Before noon, they stood there looking at their work.

Ryu was about to turn on the faucet to start the fountain. "Well, here goes." He said as he turned the knob. Every single one of them had their fingers crossed. They were really hopeful that their hard work wasn't a flop. It was their first time to take on such a project and they didn't want to fail in it.

They stood there admiring what they had done. It was beautiful. They were able to execute the plan perfectly. It was like a true water fall, a miniature-scale model of one of Japan's beautiful waterfalls. They couldn't help but smile as they saw that all their hard work brought presentable results. Narumi then made his way towards them and smiled.

"Well done, young ones. Well done." Narumi said as he stood beside them. All turned their attention to him. They were so relieved that they were able to finish with time to spare that they hadn't noticed the old man approach them. Narumi knew that they wanted answers. He smiled.

"Young ones, I know that you wish to understand the reason behind this task I've presented to you. You may think that I have completely lost my mind and have forgotten that I'm here to give you leadership training. On the contrary, this is leadership training at the highest sense." Narumi said.

"Um, I don't mean to oppose but…um…how does gardening have anything to do with leadership training? None of us are experts in the tasks you have presented us, Seiji-san. We all have been thinking about it since yesterday and we don't understand how this has anything to do with the office that we hold." Shiho said. The others said nothing as they looked to Narumi for answers. The old man smiled again.

"Watanabe-kun." Narumi said as he turned to Ryu.

"Yes, Seiji-san?" Ryu answered, not quite sure why he was called.

"What was the task given to you in this project?" Narumi asked.

"I was assigned to the water mechanics, Seiji-san. You have tasked me to make sure that the water runs through the fountain, to fix the plumbing and help establish the foundation." Ryu answered.

"Kinomoto-chan, what was assigned to you?"

"Um, I was tasked to create bonsai and replant them, Seiji-san."

"Morimoto-san, what about you?"

"I was tasked to replant the plants and flowers according to the plan, Seiji-san."

Narumi then turned to Kenishiro and asked him the same "I was given the task of tiling the borders, Seiji-san. I was assigned to make sure that the fencing of the fountain was strong as well as appeal aesthetically without overbearing the beauty of the fountain."

Narumi smiled. He turned to Ryu first and said, "President, you have been tasked with the water mechanics because like water, you help give life to the student council. You are the source of leadership and direction for the other members. You have been entrusted by the student body to lead them with much dignity and trust as you help lay the foundation of student affairs."

He then turned to Sakura and said, "Vice president, you are the President's right hand. I gave you the task of bonsai. It is a very delicate work that people often overlook. But it is a very important job where you are also entrusted with great responsibilities as much like the life of the student body and the student council. You make sure that the roots absorb the continued flow of water to give life to the entire plant. You are entrusted with power of silent guidance that helps protect the dignity and the beauty of the whole. Even if you do changes together with your fellow officers, the end result will still be alive and beautiful."

He turned to Shiho and explained, "Secretary, you are charged with replanting because as the secretary you are the one who makes sure that everything is well documented and in accord to the general plan. You take all those things that were discussed and approved by the student council and you help relay that to your fellow students. Like replanting, you carefully see that the process is done so that problems could be anticipated and relayed to your fellow officers."

Lastly, he turned to Kenishiro and said, "Treasurer, like the tiling of the fountain, you are trusted with monetary matters of the entire student body. Your actions reflect the image of the student council because you have been given a position that requires much trust, integrity and honesty. You work closely with the President and the other officers to make sure that every penny is accounted for, for the benefit of the whole."

"Together, you make the success of the student body affairs of the year. You have been entrusted individually with your distinctive tasks but if you cannot work together, it will not work. Like building this fountain, every one has to work together in accordance to the plan, working together to achieve a common goal. As the student council, you must strive for the development and benefit of the entire student body, whom have given you the power to lead them. Do this well, and just like the fountain that you have built from scratch, you will be able to give honor to your positions and set an example for the rest of the students." Narumi explained.

Narumi then took out a plastic bag full of Japanese carps and placed then at the base of the fountain for luck. "This is my gift for all your hard work. Now, it is complete. Well done, young ones."

Upon hearing his explanation, it seemed that they found themselves speechless. It hadn't even crossed their minds that it meant all that. They knew that they held positions that demanded a lot from them and they knew the responsibilities that they held but having Narumi putting it in those terms, it brought a new prospective in all of them. They couldn't help but reflect on them.

"You have until 12:30 for break. Then we will resume with the training. Don't worry, young ones. This time it will be lectures until our time ends at 5." Narumi said and smiled. He then started to head back towards the campus building.

They looked at each other. No one seemed to know the appropriate words to say at the moment. They were still recovering from the shock of realization that Narumi gave all of them. From his office inside the building, the Principal couldn't help but smile as he looked out the window at them. It surely was an incredible feat. Just like a father who had seen his children triumph, he was overjoyed that they survived Narumi's challenge.

(to be continued…)

SCT is, by the way, student council training. Hehe. Anyway, this is part of the storyline where there are still no fluffy moments because things are still building up. I do hope that you guys continue to have interest in this. Thanks to those who sent in their reviews and read until this chapter. I really appreciate it. Thanks so much. Please continue to send in what you think. Thanks again.

Michiko


	7. Surprises

Chapter 7 Surprises

Ryu, Sakura, Shiho and Kenishiro had agreed that they would meet up early Monday morning and walk to school together. They planned to visit the Principal as a group and present their proposal for the university fair for the seniors. They wanted to show that they had given it much thought and that all of them supported the plan. They needed to have it approved as soon as possible so that they could start giving the go signal to the different universities and conduct the appropriate preparations.

They needed to get there before 7 so that they could talk to the Principal and have the letter to inform the seniors signed and reproduced quickly. They met at 6:30 and quickly made their way to school. They were lucky that the Principal was already there. They talked to him and were glad that they didn't need to explain much or do some convincing as the Principal quickly signed the letter.

Ryu then lead the way to the student council room where they started to divide the work. Kenishiro quickly got money to pay for the reproduction of the letter. He handed it over to Sakura. She was tasked to have it reproduced and hand it over to the senior class presidents while Ryu, Shiho and Kenishiro made the calls to the different universities and started the filing and computing of the costs that they would be encountering.

Time was against them. They needed to finish as much as they could and get the letters to the seniors before homeroom started at 8. Sakura ran to have it reproduced. Ryu and the others started calling the different universities to give them the go signal as early as they could so that they could prepare their various representatives and also for the student council to know what they would need.

By 7:45, Sakura was able to have the letter reproduced. She dropped by the office to hand the original to Shiho for filing and quickly made her way to the different classrooms after she had counted and assorted the different files in accordance to the class size that she would be giving the bundle to.

Sakura quickly made the rounds to the different sections while Ryu made his way to the faculty room and gave the senior class advisers copies of the letter. When Sakura found herself in front of the door of class 3-D, she gulped. It was Ryu and Shaoran's class.

Sakura took a deep breath and knocked and opened the door. Senior students who were there turned to her direction. She said, "May I speak to the class president, please?" Shaoran stood up and walked over to the door.

Sakura acted that it was purely professional business because Shaoran's girl friend, Rika, was also part of that class. She didn't want to start causing trouble. When Shaoran was near her, she took out the bundle that was labeled '3-D' and handed it to Shaoran. He took it from her and said nothing.

"These are letters about the university fair. Please distribute them to your classmates. The student council will meet the class presidents on Wednesday afternoon after school. If there are further instructions, kindly wait for Ryu-san as we are still fixing the final details." Sakura said.

Shaoran nodded and looked at her. Sakura knew that there were some things that he wanted to say but Sakura said, "Please count them if they are complete before I leave."

Shaoran went over to the nearest desk and started counting. Sakura entered the room and walked over a little to Shaoran. After a minute, Shaoran looked back at Sakura and said, "It's complete."

Sakura nodded and said, "A copy was already given to your homeroom teacher. Ryu-san already gave it. So if he asks if you guys already got a copy, please tell him. Everything that you need to know about the fair is already written there. Oh yeah before I forget, we are going to meet the senior class officers on Thursday and Friday after school. Kindly inform your other officers about it. Don't worry. Ryu-san will give you details and remind you guys every once in a while."

Sakura then took her leave and went to the next class. Shaoran was about to follow her but then thought against it. He read the letter and hid his reaction from his classmates, some had their eyes on him.

He then went in front of class and said, "Hey guys! Listen up! Kindly take your seats for a minute before the bell rings." As they followed his instruction, Shaoran quickly scanned who was missing. Everyone was in except for Ryu, which was understandable.

"The student council has released a letter about the university fair. I'll be passing it around. Class officers, if you haven't heard what Sakura said or something, the student council will be meeting with us on Thursday and Friday after class. If you have questions or violent reactions, save it for Ryu because what I know it is all based on this letter." Shaoran said as he started passing the letters around. When his classmates read the letter, they started murmuring and reacting. Shaoran said nothing. He went back to his seat.

_Ryu-san. _Shaoran thought. Since when did Sakura start calling Ryu Watanabe 'Ryu-san'? She would use to call him 'Watanabe-san' or 'sempai' and that was it. Since when did she start calling him that? He wondered if there was something going on between her and Ryu. He thought that maybe it had something to do with Sakura being distant with him lately.

Shaoran didn't know that he had it all wrong. The real reason was him. But how could he have known that? Sakura was rarely returning his calls and messages since the past week. Then it struck him. He could have laughed at himself right then. Ryu had asked her to call him that. But then again, it really felt weird for Shaoran to see things go they way they were. Somehow it felt that it hit a nerve somewhere deep inside.

Shaoran reasoned out that maybe it was all the stress the student council was going through. He figured that it was because they had their hands full. He knew that they had just finished their leadership training over the weekend. Maybe that was why it seemed that Sakura was closer to Ryu. Shaoran thought that the training had brought the entire student council together. He was partly right about that except about Sakura and Ryu. Shaoran shrugged it off.

Just as the bell sounded, Ryu walked in carrying his bag and went over to his seat. Shaoran handed him his copy of the letter which he took as their homeroom teacher also arrived. They stood and greeted the teacher before sitting back down.

Before the homeroom teachers could start, the P.A sounded. It was the Principal. "Good morning, students. As you might have seen, we have a new fountain near the entrance to the campus building. It was done over the weekend. The school did not hire any professionals or workers for the job. Rather, it is our very own student council who made it from scratch. Homeroom teachers, if you would please open your television sets." He said.

All the students seemed shocked at the accomplishment. Ryu, Sakura, Shiho and Kenishiro were just as surprised that it was announced. Clearly, they thought that their fellow students didn't need to know what they were made to do during their leadership training.

When it was being announced, at the start, Sakura had her head slightly bent already as she was hearing the words. When she heard the Principal give them credit, she couldn't help close her eyes as she started to blush. She could have just died out of embarrassment as all eyes in her class turned to her in shock and amazement. She opened her eyes and just gave them a small bow with her head, not getting up.

It was the same in Shiho, Ryu and Kenishiro's classes. All eyes turned to them when their classmates found out that the new fountain was made by them. They said nothing, just like Sakura.

Shaoran was a little dumbfounded as he was completely taken by surprise. It was what they were doing the entire weekend and Sakura hadn't even bothered to tell him that. Usually, with that sort of thing, Sakura wouldn't hesitate to relate the experience to him. It was weird, he thought.

When the homeroom teachers opened the TV, a video started playing. It showed clips of events that had happened during the weekend while they were doing the project. It showed when they were given the tasks by Narumi.

The next scene was when they started the project, with Sakura teaching Shiho how to replant and Ryu and Kenishiro looking over the plans and deciding how to start. It showed the moment Ryu tested the pipes and they all got wet. It also showed when Ryu slipped and injured himself and what Sakura and the others did to help.

The video also contained shots on where they had lunch and moments where they were laughing and taking pictures. The last shots were when they had completed the project and opened the fountain for the first time and Narumi putting in the fish in the newly made fountain.

The students seemed to enjoy watching what their officers did over the weekend. Again, the student council was really surprised because they had no idea that they were being filmed and that they would actually show the student body that.

Sakura couldn't help but blush in her seat. She really could have just died there on the spot. Ryu, Kenishiro and Shiho weren't so different. They couldn't make out the appropriate reaction to give. They were just taken by surprise like the rest of them that it seemed that they didn't know how to react.

"The reason why I have chosen to announce this and show this video is because I want to let everyone know what convinced the review committee to approve our accreditation. They have been watching the halls of the school during the past weeks by sending in their representatives. They have also reviewed our curriculum and teachers, staff and the campus itself. But the convincing moment for them was when they witnessed the leadership training of our student council last weekend and seeing for themselves the capabilities and leadership skills that our officers have. While undergoing a project that they really had no idea how to do and being able to accomplish it successfully, they were able to fix the seniors' university fair, again last weekend. As of this morning, all the universities have been informed and have confirmed on the schedule. With this development over the weekend, the committee did not have doubts in approving our petition for accreditation and receiving a higher level. Well done, student council. Well done, to all our students. Good day." The Principal said and it was over.

Sakura and the others didn't know that the accreditation was over and it was finalized. They were surprised that the entire time, they had been watched by the review committee and were part in the convincing of the panel. It gave this sense of accomplishment but mostly a sense of relief to all of them. They wished that now the review period was over, things wouldn't be in such a tense pace anymore. Every one in the student council wished that and shared the sentiment.

The students seemed to celebrate too that the review period for their school was over. It brought this sense of pride and accomplishment to their school. The teachers congratulated their students and their fellow students too were telling them that they did a good job.

Ryu, Sakura, Shiho and Kenishiro stood and humbly bowed and thanked their fellow students and teachers for the support that they have given and promised that they would continue to try and strive in their positions.

Lessons continued that day as that was put aside and the real work started. At lunch, Sakura ran off to meet Ryu and the others at the student council office to start with the serious preparation for that weekend's first university fair. They had to lay out a plan so that they would know how to go about putting up the booths and preparing the students themselves for the event. They all knew that the seniors wanted answers on why the fair was divided into two and why it was placed on a weekend.

"Who knew that the Principal would do something like that this morning? I mean, I was completely taken by surprise. I didn't know how to react." Sakura commented as they sat around the table in the student council office.

"That goes for me too." Shiho said, almost laughing.

"Actually, me too." Kenishiro said, as he smirked a little.

"Well, not for me." Ryu said causing all to look at him in surprise.

Ryu smirked and said, "I think I looked stupid for not being able to say anything. I don't know about you but that's how I felt because I was dumbfounded. I was so surprised to find out that through all that, we were being filmed all along and might I remind you I was the one who slipped and got injured and well made a slight mistake getting us all wet."

The others started to laugh, getting on what Ryu was saying. He did have a point. Compared to all of them, Ryu probably had the most embarrassing thing happen to him.

"I appreciate the support guys. Next time I'd laugh too." Ryu said sarcastically.

"Oh come on, we were all just having fun. We didn't know that it was going to be broadcasts throughout the school. Besides, you're the one who brought it up." Sakura commented, still laughing a little.

"Think about it this way, Watanabe-san, we were all fools not to notice that we were being filmed. I think when Yamaguchi-sensei was doing the presentation and announcement this morning, we were all dumbfounded and looked stupid for being all surprised and stuff." Shiho said.

"I don't know about you but I would rather not admit that I looked stupid, thank you very much. It's enough that I really looked stupid, I wouldn't go around admitting it. Who knows? Maybe this room is bugged and it will get announced all over school again. Then we really would be laughing stocks instead of the student council." Kenishiro said.

They all started laughing again. "The thing is you just admitted that by proving your point. But don't go on now and start being all paranoid that we might not get things done." Ryu commented. Kenishiro smirked.

They then started working again. The mood was light as they kept on checking the clock every once in a while so that they would know if they should be heading back to class. They didn't want to be late. They knew that even if the review period was over, being tardy was still not acceptable especially for officers like them.

They started to lay out what they needed to talk about. They started to jot down important points that they needed to go and discuss when they met again that afternoon after class. They were able to come up with explanation to the seniors, booths, budget, food and drinks for the university representatives, physical arrangement, who was in charge of where and budget for the entire thing.

After a while, they all headed to class for their afternoon lessons. Sakura then remembered that she was going to start with her ice skating that evening. She was glad that at least she still didn't have cheer practice so she could go home and get ready for that later.

When Sakura was making her way to her classroom, Shaoran and Rika seemed to be coming down the stairs, heading towards their classroom. Sakura guessed that maybe they had lunch on the roof or something as Shaoran was carrying the lunch boxes. She stopped by the foot of the stairs a little surprised with the encounter. She bowed at them. Ryu saw it and quickly made his way to Sakura. He then laid a hand on her shoulder which made her turn. He smiled at her.

"Come on. I'll walk you to class. Oh hey! Shaoran. Rika. I didn't notice you guys." Ryu said as he stood next to Sakura.

She looked at him but hid her surprise. She said nothing. Rika and Shaoran stopped walking a step from Sakura and Ryu. Rika smiled at Ryu and said, "Hey, Ryu. Are you walking Sakura to her class?"

Ryu nodded. Rika seemed to smile broadly. Sakura knew why she did that. She smiled a little so that Shaoran wouldn't suspect anything. "Well anyway, I'll see you guys in class. I'll just accompany her upstairs. Come on Sakura." Ryu said as he took her hand and started to lead her upstairs. She allowed herself to be led as she bowed again at them and smiled.

Shaoran said nothing. He was stoic as ever. Sakura chose not to notice. When they were out of view of Shaoran and Rika, Ryu let go of her hand. Sakura said, "I don't know what that was about but thanks…I guess." She smiled a little.

"You're welcome. You seemed to be in trouble a little. We need to look out for each other, you know. So of course it's my pleasure to help you out." Ryu said as he smiled at her.

"They might think that something is going on between us. I hope that it might not affect you, especially if you are courting someone." Sakura said.

"Ah, don't worry about that, Sakura. Let them think what they want to. I don't mind being linked to a beautiful girl like you." Ryu answered which made Sakura blush. She didn't say anything. "Besides, I'm not courting anyone right now. Maybe soon but not yet." Ryu added as they stood in front of her classroom.

"If you need rest-back later, I can come and pick you up from class." Ryu offered.

Sakura laughed and replied, "It's nice of you to offer but I can manage getting to the student council office on my own thank you very much. Go on before you get late or something." Ryu just grinned and headed on his way.

But before he did, he turned and told Sakura, "If you have a problem with Shaoran, or Rika for that matter, don't let it get to you."

Sakura was surprised with the comment. He smiled at her. She smiled back warmly. It was a sudden comment but she figured that it was what she needed to hear at the moment so she was really grateful for it. She gave him a nod and went inside the classroom as he went on his way.

(to be continued…)

This are beginning to get complicated. That's all I can say because I might spoil the next chapters. Hehe. Anyway, thanks for reading this far. Thanks to those who reviewed too. Please do continue to review and read the later chapters. Thanks.

Michiko


	8. Thrice the Confusion

Chapter 8 Thrice the Confusion

That afternoon, Shaoran knew that Sakura and the others were having a student council meeting but somehow the incident that afternoon struck inside his head. Sakura was really apprehensive when she had met up with him and Rika at the stairway. What even surprised him more was when Ryu came and took her hand to accompany her to her classroom. Sakura didn't seem to mind that. She allowed herself to be led by the hand by Ryu. It crossed Shaoran's mind again if they were going out or something. He couldn't understand why he was really troubling over that.

He and Rika were walking home. Well, he was walking Rika home. After hanging out for a while, it was already dark and they both knew that they needed to head back since they still have some things to do in preparation for the next day.

Rika suddenly brought up, "I think they make a sweet couple. Don't you think, Shaoran?"

He was a little taken aback with her comment. He wasn't even sure whom she was referring to. "What? Who?" Shaoran said.

"You know, Ryu and Sakura." Rika said, rather excited and pleased. She was smiling at him.

Shaoran hid his reaction. He wasn't sure if he shared the same sentiments. "Come on, Rika. We don't even know if they are really going out or much less, going steady." Shaoran chose to answer.

"Come on, Shaoran." Rika said as she intertwined her arm in his. She then added, "Aren't you happy for your best friend? I think Ryu is a perfect match for her. They are both in the student council and very responsible. They are athletic and people like them. Can't you see the chemistry?"

"Frankly, I don't. Besides, I know Sakura. She's not the type who thinks of guys just yet." Shaoran answered.

"Well I say a girl is still a girl. Maybe that's the reason why she still hasn't had a boy friend because you always contradict. You're not her brother you know so you shouldn't be so overprotective. The girl does deserve to be happy." Rika said.

Shaoran smirked. They were by Rika's door. She turned to him and said, "Would you like to come in?"

Shaoran gave her a small smiled but declined. "I've got kendo early tomorrow. There are still some things that I need to do." He said.

Rika seemed a little disappointed but smiled at him. "Ok then. I'll come by and watch. See you tomorrow, Shaoran. Good night." Rika said. Shaoran nodded at her and told her good night before heading off.

On his way home, he bumped into Ryu and Kenishiro. "Hey Shaoran. Heading home?" Ryu said as they greeted him. Shaoran gave him a nod. He was as stoic as ever.

"You want to hang out for a while? We were just on our way to that new soba restaurant near the shrine to grab something to eat before heading home." Kenishiro said.

"Yeah. Want to come? It's just a guys night out." Ryu said. Shaoran shrugged as he tagged along.

"Where's Rika? I thought that you guys were together?" Kenishiro said.

"I already accompanied her home." Shaoran answered as they continued walking.

"You guys have this on-again, off-again thing?" Ryu asked as they sat in the small restaurant and ordered.

"Yeah. I guess you can say that. One minute she just felt that we had to go out separate ways and then the next thing I knew, she said she's ready to give it another chance." Shaoran answered. Kenishiro and Ryu smirked.

"If you ask me, she's got you hanging man. I know it's hard to understand how girls think sometimes but damn. She's got extreme mood changes." Kenishiro commented, making Ryu smirk.

"Quit it, Kenishiro. We can't choose the people to fall in love with. It just so happens that Shaoran here was taken by Rika." Ryu said.

"How about you and Sakura? You guys going out?" Shaoran suddenly asked.

Kenishiro spat some of his drink as he was taken by the sudden question. Ryu smirked and replied, "Sakura's my vice. It's only natural for me to look after her. But besides that, Sakura's also a friend of mine."

"I don't know what you guys are talking about but Shaoran, look at it this way. We are all part of the student council and it's also part of the job to look after each other, especially in times like this where it seems like hell going about our responsibilities." Kenishiro suddenly commented. Shaoran smirked and gulp on his drink a little.

After dinner, Kenishiro went on ahead as they parted ways. Shaoran suddenly said to Ryu, "Just don't hurt her."

Ryu seemed a little surprised but then smirked and replied, "Don't worry. I would never think about hurting her. I told you. She's my friend. I only want her to be happy. I should be telling you that, you know. I don't know what happened between the two of you but she seems a little different. I'm not sure maybe it's all the stress that's happening. But as her best friend, don't stop her from attaining happiness. Let her spread her wings and learn to love just like you have. I think it's you why guys were apprehensive in courting her. Now that you have Rika again, don't overshadow her."

Shaoran seemed really surprised with what Ryu had just told him. He noticed it too. Ryu noticed that Sakura was a bit different towards him. But maybe he had a point that it was all that stress with everything that were going on at the same time but still he knew that there was something different. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

"I know Sakura well enough to know that she's really happy for you since you have already found Rika. I can see that a part of her wonders how it feels like. I don't really know. She hasn't said anything. But let her fall in love by giving her space. She deserves that much from you even if I know it's hard." Ryu added.

"Like I said, just don't hurt her, Ryu. If you do, you will have to face me." Shaoran answered. Ryu smirked.

"I expected that much. See you around, Shaoran." Ryu said before he left Shaoran.

Ryu's thoughts fell on Sakura. Judging from her expressions, he knew that something was up with her personally. He didn't know what and he wasn't about to ask her point blank. He wanted her to come to him if she wanted him to know her problem. He didn't want to pry that might push her away. He must admit though that he was captivated by Sakura's beauty, personality, perseverance, intelligence and optimism. He wasn't really thinking about courting her but he didn't mind acting like he was to protect her.

He saw her hesitance in her eyes even if she tried desperately to hide it. Ryu wondered how Shaoran could not see that. Maybe he could, he figured that Shaoran must have just chosen not to act on his presumptions. Ryu told himself that he would be there for her, for Sakura. He felt this need to protect her. He didn't know that it was the start that he never expected. Ryu didn't seem to mind. Ryu found himself smiling at the thought of her. He shook his head. He couldn't believe that that girl seemed very fragile and yet possess great strength and capability that left anyone she encountered in awe.

What was it, Ryu wondered, that made him feel that he had to protect her? He knew that she was strong and could handle anything that came her way. But what was it that made him feel that he just needed to do something to shield her from pain? He figured that it was because she was a friend to him and a trusted comrade, confidant. She always had a smile on her face that would seem to drown out any negativity.

Sakura was always there for him. She was always ready to hear him out or work through the hours of student council business without complaining. She was always ready to help him, no questions asked. Ryu figured that it was about time that he did the same for her.

His mind then drifted to that afternoon when he had accompanied her to her classroom, Sakura was still thinking about him. She was thinking on how people might start to think and what that could do to him rather than her. Through her problems, she still would smile at him warmly that it made Ryu wonder what it was that Sakura was really hiding behind that smile of hers.

For a split second he thought he saw but he couldn't be certain. He will just have to wait and see how things turned out. In the meantime, he would be there to make sure that she doesn't get hurt that much. Yes. That was it…no questions asked…that was it.

Shaoran, on the other hand, walked home deep in thought. Somehow he just couldn't shake off the feeling he was getting with the recent turn of events. Ryu was interested in her and he could tell that. Ryu did say that he was always going to be there to take care of her, watch over her. Shaoran told himself that he should be content with that. Ryu was right that he should let Sakura find her own happiness just like she let him find it out for himself.

When he got home, he dropped his bag by the door and fell back in bed. He stared at the ceiling. Why was he being so worked up? Sakura was his best friend and it was only natural that he'd protect her from guys who could potentially hurt her. But how come he just couldn't let the issue go? Was he being unfair just like Ryu had said? Ryu did notice that there was something different about her, about them.

Shaoran knew that there was something that ran deeper between him and Sakura than he was willing to admit. Space. Yeah. Space was developing between them. Ryu suggested that he should give her space to 'spread her wings' so he said. Maybe somehow Shaoran hadn't given that and it was more Sakura's effort.

It felt like Shaoran was losing her. He smirked at himself. He told himself that he was being ridiculous. It wasn't like they were going steady or that they were in love. He should know that it was bound to happen. Sooner or later, Sakura would find someone and fall in love. He had no right to stop that even if he was her best friend. She stood by him during the ups and downs of his relationship with Rika. She supported him no matter what. Isn't it that she deserved that much from her too? He had always been the wall that protected her heart from pain but perhaps this time he was the wall keeping her from loving.

What kind of best friend did that make him now? Come to think of it, Sakura hadn't even called to ask him for help in her math. It seemed that Sakura was trying her best to make it on her own without relying on anybody, even him. But he did have to admit that he missed Sakura's company. He missed those moments where they would just hang out and talk about non-superficial stuff, stuff that they cared about freely without thinking that the other might judge the other. He missed his best friend.

He had Rika but it was different. Even if they had had the relationship for a while before she ended it a month back and got back together the past week, Shaoran still found it difficult to talk to her about a few things, things that he never had a problem opening up with Sakura.

But Shaoran was no fool. He knew that things must change. Life had to move forward for the both of them. Even if they were best friends, they still had to make decisions on their own and walk their own paths even if it meant that they had to drift apart from each other a little bit.

It crossed Shaoran's mind that this might have what Sakura had felt when he first went steady with Rika. Maybe the feeling that he was feeling was what Sakura felt that he told himself not to see. It made him feel a little bit more awful than he was thinking that he had been too selfish to see how things might have felt or seemed to Sakura. He hadn't been there for her but throughout that time, she never once left his side. She just smiled at him and offered him encouragement.

Shaoran always knew that Sakura was the type of person who would not just sit back and cry over her problems. She was the type who would get up and put a big smile on her face and do something about it, no matter how painful or hard it may seem. He figured that maybe that was what she was doing now…moving on. That was when Shaoran decided that he would indeed give her the space that she needed from him. It was the right thing to do anyway, he figured.

But if it were the right thing to do, how come he really felt lousy about it? Shaoran closed his eyes and tried to forget his frustration. He was failing miserably. It was really weird that no matter what he reasoned out inside his head, nothing seemed to make him feel better or slightly accepting towards the subject. It was like forcing a solution upon an inappropriate problem.

Was he jealous, he wondered…now he knew that he was being an idiot. It wasn't like he was in love with Sakura. Rika was his girl friend. How can that be complicated? They were friends, best friends. How can he be jealous? He quickly dismissed the idea from his head.

But little did everyone know that somewhere under that night sky, another young man was thinking and intrigued about Sakura. It was not really a surprise since she was a very popular girl in school, well loved by those around her, beautiful and talented. Guys would be crazy to not even like her even a little bit.

But he was different. He just met her but still, it felt as if he had already known her for a long time. Sakura made him feel welcome, normal. From the moment he had laid eyes on her, he knew that he could trust her. Her actions since he entered their school showed that he hadn't been wrong. Eriol knew that she would never betray his trust. Eriol couldn't help but smile when his mind would drift towards her. To him, Sakura simply was an amazing person.

He reflected that he had never met anyone like her before. She stood out from all the people whom he had already encountered and were meeting. It didn't take much to convince him to like her. It was pretty surprising that he immediately found himself gravitate towards her.

Eriol then remembered his conversation with Sakura recently. "Eriol, which ever path you decided to take, reject the offer or simply go through with it or whatever, I will back you up. I also have Ryu-san's blessing with this one. He said that if you will be needing our help, you don't even have to ask him and that goes without saying that I will be there to help as well." She told him. She smiled at him that made him feel light. With it he knew that everything, as she said, was going to be alright.

"You know what, Sakura? I've been thinking about it for quite some time actually. Maybe it's not that bad if people knew who I really am. I mean, they are eventually going to find out anyway." Eriol said.

Sakura looked at him with a smile on her face. She then asked him, "Are you sure? Once you go there, there's no turning back."

"Yeah I know. Might as well get it over with now than later. I doubt if it will be easier later anyway."

"Are you really, really sure?"

Eriol smiled at her and said, "If you put it that way, I find myself questioning if I really am sure."

Sakura smiled at him and said, "I thought so. Look, no one is forcing you to do this. Right now you have to weigh things as they are. You have to figure out which terms you can live with. No matter what it will be, it will demand a price from you so you really should be sure that you will be able to live with yourself after you've decided and gone through with it."

Eriol smiled. He knew that she would say something like that. It wouldn't be like her if she didn't. "Ok then. It's settled. I'm going through with it. I'm going to accept their invitation."

Sakura seemed surprised. She almost stuttered. "What? That was quick." She then laughed before continuing, "What made you set your mind?"

"You."

Sakura turned to him in surprise. She wasn't sure what it meant but she thought she heard what she did.

Eriol smiled at her and said, "You said it yourself. No one is forcing me to do this and I should be able to live with my decision. I feel that this is the right decision." He paused as he looked at her and said, "What I really wanted was a normal life. I wanted to feel how it is to be just everybody else for me, for who I really am. I figured that this is not really what's happening. All these hiding and lying to everyone, how can I expect them to accept me if they don't know? You treat me like a real person, without the title and I've never really had that since all the singing engagements started. So I figured, the reason why you accepted me is because I was honest with you and I gave you my trust. Besides, you can't expect others to trust you if you can't trust in them, right?"

Sakura smiled at him and nodded. "Alright. If that is what you want, I will support you 100%. It will be chaotic for a while but I'm sure things will settle down." She commented.

Eriol nodded. "Thanks for trusting me, Eriol. I really appreciate it." She then said.

"No, Sakura. Thank you, not just for the trust but for everything, especially the friendship." He replied.

Just seeing her smile warmly was enough to make him forget the doubts he would feel. He would find his way again. Being in the music business, it was hard to be a normal teenager and experience life for what it really is. After a long time, he knew that he was just like any other person in the world again.

Sakura somehow made him believe that even if you are an achiever, you can still have your feet on the ground. She showed him that. She was a student council vice president, an ace student, a cheerleader, a gymnast and recently an aspiring figure skater. She always did things with a smile too. Eriol believed that he could do it too. It wasn't such a big deal to finally tell people his secret because he knew that it was going to be worthwhile just like what she had taught him.

He didn't exactly know if his heart was starting to fall for her. But he certainly didn't mind the idea. He liked her. He liked her a lot. But he also didn't want to play with her heart. If one day he would eventually wake up and realize that his heart belonged to her, he certainly wouldn't be surprised.

Eriol looked up at the night sky. He knew that somewhere beneath it, Sakura was also probably looking up at the same moon, the same stars, the same sky. He couldn't help but smile. He then wondered what would Shaoran or Ryu have done if he found out that Eriol was thinking of Sakura and was contemplating if he was starting to fall for her. Yeah. What would they do?

(to be continued…)

There are times when one is really acting like an idiot without him really noticing it. Anyway, there are still a lot of things to happen before things come around in a full circle. Thanks to those who have read up to this far and to those who sent in their reviews. I really appreciate it. I hope that you continue on with this journey and also to please keep sending in your reviews. Thanks.

Michiko


	9. University Fair

Chapter 9 University Fair

So much to do and so little time was given to all of them. Little did everyone know, Sakura welcomed it a little bit. It was her way of trying to forget her frustration, pain and especially guilt for trying to avoid Shaoran. She had tried to act as normal as possible but she knew that there will come a time when people would start noticing, especially Shaoran. So far, it was going well. There hadn't been much encounters lately after the stairway incident. She rarely found herself alone, which was a relief as well. She didn't want to face him just yet by herself.

Working with the senior class officers, the student council was able to organize and prepare all necessary things that would be needed for the university fair. It was definitely a race against time for all of them. Since club activities were starting again, they needed all the man power they could get.

All the student council members had their specific club activities. Ryu and Kenishiro were both part of the basketball club. Shiho was part of the swimming team. Sakura was part of the cheerleading team. Aside from that, there were senior students too who were involved with sports or some sort of club. Shaoran was one of them. He was part of the kendo club and debate team. It was a juggling act that they endured for less than a week.

Friday came. It was the last day of preparations. Only the final touches were needed. All was left to do was give out final instructions. All senior class officers were present. While they took their sheets, Shiho handed a blank attendance sheet to Sakura while she took out another one to pass to the officers who were there so that they could sign in for the meeting. Before Ryu started, Sakura already told him that she was going to have the attendance sheet photocopied for the fair.

Ryu gave her a nod as she quietly left the room. Ryu then called the room in order so that they could start and finish early. He knew that there were a lot of them who would be scrambling to get to their respective clubs afterwards so he was determined to keep it short.

After a few minutes, Sakura returned and entered the room silently. She then walked up to Ryu and whispered to him that the Principal was on his way to meet with everyone. Ryu looked at her and nodded. Sakura nodded in acknowledgement before she walked towards Kenishiro so that they could arrange the attendance sheets into the different folders allotted for each of the senior class.

Shaoran had watched Sakura enter and exchange a few words with Ryu. He didn't seem to see something going on more than usual. It was more to him like professional work. But that was Sakura for you. She never let her personal matters interfere with her responsibilities in school, especially student council affairs. They were both very professional at that moment. Ryu knew that Shaoran was looking but chose not to act or acknowledge it. He didn't see the need to.

Ryu continued on giving the final instructions. And as if on cue, the moment Ryu finished was the moment the Principal arrived and entered the room. Everyone stood and bowed to give him due respect. They sat back down while Shiho then continued to do her minutes of the meeting and Sakura and Kenishiro were doing the filing.

"I won't keep this long. You all know that this is a very important event as it will be the stepping stone to your future. You have all been advised by your homeroom teachers about it and I am not about to repeat what they have said because I know that is what you have been hearing these past weeks. I will however say this to all of you. Do not take this opportunity for granted. Choose your university wisely based on their specialty courses." The Principal said.

All were silent. They said nothing as they just listened to every word that was being said. "Tomorrow, I know that you are all class officers, and that goes to Watanabe-kun and Uchiha-kun. You are all officers but tomorrow I would like you all to be just senior students looking for potential universities. I know that you will have your specific duties so that tomorrow and next Saturday's event will run smoothly. But as much as possible, I would like all of you to just be senior students because it is only less than a year before you graduate and next month will be the start of entrance examinations. I would like you all to take this opportunity to think about your futures well." The Principal continued on to say.

Ryu and Kenishiro were surprised with the sudden words. All of the senior officers were just as surprised. The Principal then turned to Sakura and Shiho, "Kinomoto-chan. Morimoto-chan. It might be too much to ask but I will expect that you both take the lead tomorrow and next Saturday. As non-graduating student officers, you must take it upon yourselves that everything is running smoothly so that Watanabe-kun, Uchiha-kun and all the officers here can concentrate more on their career and university choices. Can I expect that from you?"

"Yes, Yamaguchi-sensei. We both understand the importance of the event and will be happy to oversee that everything is running smoothly in behalf of Ryu-san, Kenishiro-san and all the officers here." Sakura answered without a doubt in her mind which was evident in her voice.

Shiho stood and gave a nod. "We will do our best, Yamaguchi-sensei. You have our word." Shiho said as she and Sakura gave him a bow.

When the Principal seemed satisfied, he smiled at them and left the room. Ryu then said, "Alright then. Sakura, Kenishiro, if you please."

Sakura and Kenishiro then took the folders and went to stand beside Ryu. "These folders have been labeled per section. It contains your class' attendance sheet for tomorrow and next Saturday." Sakura started.

Kenishiro then went on to say, "Attendance will be checked in the morning, before lunch, after lunch and 3 o'clock in the afternoon. So all in all, there are 8 sheets in each folder. After the time for attendance has elapsed, we are required by Yamaguchi-sensei to pass the folders to him to be signed and checked before the next attendance period. For those who will come in late or plan to ditch school, it will be noted by the student council and will be marked absent or tardy. No one can sign in for anyone as our advisers have explained. It will be countersigned by either Sakura or Shiho and a faculty member that will be assigned on that hour."

"As we all know, this is very important and these are orders direct from the Principal. When we learned about it, all of us shared the sentiment that it is a little too strict but we cannot do anything about it. We tried to talk with Yamaguchi-sensei but he just showed us this form from the Department of Education. It seems that it is written in our law. So please advise your fellow classmates, if you hear something like they plan on skipping tomorrow or taking tomorrow for granted, tell them that this is serious business and appropriate action will be taken for any wrong doings." Ryu said.

"If you don't have any questions, this meeting is adjourned." Ryu said as he turned to Sakura who was fixing all the folders as Kenishiro handed them to her. He also turned to Shiho. "Are you guys ok with it? I mean, it will be hard work taking on most of the responsibility." Ryu said.

Sakura smiled at him and replied, "It's nothing. It simply means we have to work extra hard that's all. Besides, you heard what Yamaguchi-sensei said. He wants all of you to think about your futures. Shiho and I share the same feeling about it."

"Yeah, Sakura-sempai is right. We can handle it. The question really is if you can lay low and let us do our jobs being workaholic and all?" Shiho joked. Sakura laughed. Ryu grinned.

"Well anyway, if there are problems, do tell us. It's not like we don't know how to multitask too. I don't know about Ryu but more or less I'm already set for college. I've made up my mind and all. I'll just put it to the test tomorrow and see if it really is the right choice." Kenishiro commented as he got his bag.

Ryu smirked as he got his bag too. Sakura placed the folders in her bag and told Shiho, "I'll be here at 7. I'll meet you at the entrance booth." Shiho nodded.

"We will be around that time too to check that you two are alright." Ryu commented.

Sakura smiled as they were walking towards the door. Shaoran was there waiting for her. She was surprised but chose not to show it. He then pulled her aside to talk to her for a while.

"Hey! Shaoran! You could have been a little more rough." She said sarcastically.

Shiho, Ryu and Kenishiro looked at each other but didn't move or say anything. "Sorry. But listen be careful." He said. Sakura didn't seem to understand what he was talking about.

"Huh? Be careful with what?" She asked.

"Just be careful who you give your heart to, ok? With how things are going I might not be always there to protect you." Shaoran said. Sakura seemed stunned. Shaoran then took out a small box tied with pink and blue ribbons from his pocket and gave it to her.

Sakura looked at it and then at him. He insisted that she should get it. Sakura took it apprehensively then looked back at him. "What? You never were apprehensive in accepting a simple gift before." Shaoran commented as he grinned at her.

Sakura smiled at little. "Yeah well that's because things weren't that complicated back then. Well anyway, thanks. You should be going, kendo right? I should be heading to cheer practice too. And I really don't want to get Rika all jealous or something." Sakura answered.

Shaoran grinned and nodded. "Happy birthday, Sakura." He then unexpectedly kissed her on the forehead. He then smiled at her "Take it easy. See you around tomorrow." Shaoran said before he made his way towards kendo. Ryu, Kenishiro and Shiho then joined her.

"It's your birthday? Why didn't you say anything?" Shiho said.

Sakura smiled. "No. It's not my birthday yet." Sakura replied as she placed Shaoran's gift inside her bag.

"It's your birthday tomorrow, right?" Ryu said as he smiled at her. Sakura nodded.

"But it seems something more is brewing in the air. It seems that there a lot of guys taken in by you and are vying for your attention." Kenishiro commented.

"Don't be stupid. Let's not even go there." Sakura said as she tried hard not to blush.

Shiho then intertwined her arm on Sakura's and said, "Please, please, please, Sakura-sempai. Please you've got to tell me your secret. You have a lot of the school boys googling and wanting to be your boy friend. And Watanabe-san and Li-san are also working out on trying to get you even if Li-san already has a girl friend, he still is sweeter towards you and…and…that Shinzo look-alike guy…what's his name? Eriol? Hiiragizawa Eriol? That's it! Please, Sakura-sempai. And then I heard some of the senior girls talking that last year, you have that guy…your brother's best friend…well, actually they say that you still see him a lot and – oh! You're so lucky!"

"Shiho, you better learn not to listen to rumors. Shaoran is my best friend. We've known each other since we were practically in diapers, naturally he seems to be sweeter as you say towards me. He views me as his sister, not more and nothing less. As for Eriol, leave the guy alone. It's enough that he's being associated to Shinzo and because of that he's a having a little trouble fitting in. As for other guys, please. Don't start justifying rumors. And as for Ryu-san, we're just friends." Sakura said as she smiled at her.

"Well I'm hoping not for long." Ryu commented as he smiled at Sakura.

She turned to him and smiled a little, "Haha! Funny. I'm taking that as my cue. This is my stop you guys. See you tomorrow. Bye." Sakura then started to run to her fellow cheerleaders. They were warming up. She knew she was late. They watched her for a while.

"Well, I'm going too. I'm sure I'm going to hear it from coach. Bye guys." Shiho said as she dashed off to the swimming pool.

"Are you seriously going to court Sakura?" Kenishiro asked as he and Ryu walked towards the locker room to change for basket ball practice.

"You seem against it." Ryu answered.

"No. It's not that but do you really want to go head-to-head with Li Shaoran or Kinomoto Touya or even Tsukishiro Yukito? I mean, if you hurt her, damn." Kenishiro said.

Ryu smirked and replied, "If that's what it takes to protect her, I don't mind standing in the line of fire."

Kenishiro seemed surprised. It seemed that Ryu hadn't realized the full extent of what he was saying. Perhaps he hadn't realized it much that he was in love with her. "Protect her?" Kenishiro asked.

Ryu smirked and closed his locker and looked at Kenishiro. "I've seen it in her eyes, the pain she tries so hard to hide. For a split second, I saw it. She is a close friend of mine as she is yours. She is our vice president. You said it yourself a couple of nights ago that we are here to protect her. This is the only was I know how."

Kenishiro grinned. "Well if you are sure, by all means go for it, man. I'm not blind as to not see what you see in her." Ryu smirked as they went to practice.

That night, after cheerleading and figure skating, Sakura went home. She had met up with Yukito as they walked towards the Kinomoto residence. "So, Sakura, what do you want for your birthday?" Yukito asked.

Sakura laughed as she looked at him and replied, "If you can make everything go back to normal, that would be really great." Yukito smirked and then started to laugh with Sakura.

"You have a lot of problems it seems." Yukito commented.

"Not really. The usual stuff and not so usual stuff. Complicated but I'm not really complaining." Sakura answered, still laughing.

Yukito could only guess the full extent of her problems but it seemed that she wasn't bothered about it much, which was good. It was typical Sakura. Though he had to wonder why he hadn't seen her with Shaoran lately. He decided not to ask.

"But really, any wishes for tomorrow?" Yukito asked.

Sakura smiled at him and said, "I appreciate the thought, Yukito-san. But I'm not really asking for anything. Tomorrow is the seniors' university fair so I'll be in school most of the day. I guess I just want a quiet hang-out thing tomorrow and catch up a few zzz at it. I know it's boring but I've just had been working a lot lately and I'm exhausted."

Yukito smiled at her. He then placed a reassuring arm around her shoulder and said, "If that is what you want, well we can't do anything about it. But here, take this."

Yukito then handed her a parcel. "What's this?" Sakura asked.

He smiled at her and replied, "Open it." They stopped walking and Yukito let her go as she opened the parcel. There was an ID inside. Sakura knew what it was. It was an ID for the French embassy who was looking for an apprentice for a while. There was a program that was being offered for students to become an apprentice.

"Yukito-san…this is…" Sakura said, still couldn't quite get over the shock.

Yukito smiled at her and said, "I know that you want to be a diplomat or an ambassador when you finish school. I thought that you could start here."

Sakura looked at him and hugged him. "Thank you so much, Yukito-san. Thank you. I think this is the best. I can't thank you enough."

Yukito looked at her and smiled again. "It's nothing. This is your dream, Sakura. You know that I will always back you up."

"But how did you…I mean…it's hard getting into the program…how…don't tell me that the reason why you haven't been around lately is that…" Yukito smiled again. "Oh Yukito-san…I don't know what to say…"

"Just do your best, Sakura. I know I don't need to tell you that because you always apply the best of yourself when it comes to your responsibilities and dreams. This summer you are going to enter and it will be hard but it will be a learning experience for you. You have been down lately so I thought this is the best way to cheer you up."

Ssakura smiled and said, "Really Yukito-san this is the nicest, most wonderful thing anyone has ever given me for my birthday. Thanks you so much."

Yukito grinned and offered his hand to her, "Come on. Touya might be wondering why you aren't home yet. I have no doubt that you will do great. The people in the French embassy were really impressed to. I didn't have to do much persuasion. They accepted you right away." Sakura blushed as she took his hand and she allowed him to lead her.

After saying goodnight to Touya and Yukito, Sakura headed to her room. As she laid in bed, she remembered that Shaoran had given her a gift that afternoon. She got her bag and looked for the box she left there. When she got it, she undid the ribbon and laid it at her bedside. She then opened the box. She was surprised when she saw a note inside.

When she took out the paper, she was astounded when she saw what he had given her. She sat up and took out a beautiful hair pin. It was adorned with white roses and small diamonds. They had seen it in the store a couple of months back. He saw her looking at it and she told him that she wondered who could wear something like that. He had told her that she could and it would certainly look stunning if she wore it.

Sakura opened the note and it read, _'we haven't been hanging around lately and I somehow feel that we are drifting apart. No matter what happens, you are my best friend and I will be here for you. I also heard that you have a lot of suitors now. Just tell me if any of them breaks your heart and I'll do the rest. But anyway, happy birthday my dearest, Sakura. Wear it with dignity. I told you once that you are the only person who could wear something like this. You are beautiful inside and out so even if you don't need this anymore, I'm still giving it because you deserve nothing less than the most beautiful things in this world. – Shaoran'_ Sakura couldn't help but smile. _Oh, Shaoran…_

(to be continued…)

Somehow it may be a little dragging and stale but if you stick around, you'll understand why things are turning out the way they are. Thanks to those who have sent in their reviews and have read up to this chapter. I hope that you continue to journey with me. Please do review. Thanks.

Michiko


	10. Happy Birthday

Chapter 10 Happy Birthday

Sakura got up early that morning. She seemed happy. She felt as it even if it was going to be a long day, she knew that she would be able to take it. She felt that nothing was going to make her feel really awful that day. It was her special day of the year. It was something that she really felt close to her mother the most.

As Sakura was dressing up, her phone started to ring. She checked it and saw that it registered Shaoran's name.

"Hey." Sakura answered.

"Finally you answered my call. Happy birthday." He said.

Sakura laughed a little and said, "Thanks. If I do say that letter of yours was a little chessy for your standards."

"Hey I was in the moment. Anyway, happy birthday. I'll see you around. I've got to go and pick up Rika."

"Yeah. Thanks, Shaoran." Sakura said as she hung up.

Messages started to pour in from her friends greeting her a happy birthday. It made her smile as she thanked them in reply. She got her bag and headed downstairs. Her father and brother were already in the kitchen. They looked up when they heard her come in.

"Happy birthday, Sakura." They said.

Sakura smiled at them warmly and thanked them. She then took her mother's picture and greeted her a good morning.

"Hey cool hair pin. Where'd you get it?" Touya said as he sat the breakfast plates down at the table.

Sakura went and got the glasses for the juice. She smiled at her brother and replied, "Shaoran gave it to me yesterday."

Touya smirked. As they sat down to eat, Touya said, "Hey, let's go to school together. Yukito and I are the university representatives."

"Really? Cool. Ok, 'nii-chan. I just hope you're not going to give me some headache today. Shiho and I are basically in charge since Yamaguchi-sensei wants all the senior officers to just think about their future for during the event." Touya smirked.

"Anyway, I'm sorry I can't come home early, Sakura. There is a seminar in the university and I have to be there. I'll tell you what. I'll treat you to lunch tomorrow. How does that sound?" Fujitaka said.

Sakura smiled and said, "That would be great, 'tou-chan. Actually I was hoping that today just runs smoothly and get to bed early. I want to catch up with some sleep since it's going to be another long week this coming week." Fujitaka smiled and nodded.

After breakfast, Fujitaka left and Touya and Sakura made their way to school. On the way, Yukito met up with them. "Happy birthday, Sakura." Yukito said as he gave her a warm hug.

"Thanks, Yukito-san. So, you and 'nii-chan are your university's representatives, huh? How come neither of you said anything?"

"Well you would have found out eventually so I told Yukito that he didn't have to tell you." Touya answered. Sakura shook her head.

When they got to school, Sakura saw that Shiho was already there. "Hey Shiho. Good morning." Sakura greeted as they walked towards her.

"Good morning, Sakura-sampai. Happy birthday." Shiho greeted as she walked towards them.

"Oh this is my brother, Touya and this is his best friend, Tsukishiro Yukito. They are also university representatives." Sakura introduced. Shiho bowed at them.

"'nii-chan, Yukito-san, your booth is the second one to the right. Call me if there is still something that you will need." Touya gave her a nod and Yukito smiled at her.

"Thanks, Sakura. Oh here." Yukito said as he handed her a small pink flower. Sakura smiled at him as Yukito turned and went over to the booth.

Sakura placed her bag down at the entrance booth and took out the folders for the attendance. "So it is true. You really are surrounded by handsome men." Shiho commented.

Sakura laughed. She then gave Shiho half of the folders and they started to get ready. "Nice hair piece." Shiho commented when she finally noticed that Sakura had worn a new hair pin. Sakura smiled as she handed Shiho a badge that read 'student council' on it.

Ryu and Kenishiro then joined them. "Hey guys. Happy birthday, Sakura." They said as Kenishiro gave her a bouquet of flowers, which was from all three of them. Sakura thanked them as she allowed them to sign in and handed them their badges. She then signed Ryu's name while Shiho cross signed Kenishiro's.

Ryu then took out a small parcel and handed it to Sakura. She was surprised that he got her something. "You shouldn't have troubled, Ryu-san." She said. He smiled at her. She opened it and was really taken by surprise when she saw that he had gotten her an angel necklace.

Ryu took it from her and put it on her. "It's beautiful, thank you." Sakura said. He gave her a smile. Shiho and Kenishiro looked on and smiled. It was really happening. Kenishiro smirked as Shiho looked on dreamily and wished that that would also happen to her.

Touya and Yukito also saw that had happened. Touya kept a stoic face while he was preparing. Yukito smiled. "It seemed that Watanabe-kun is taken in on her." Yukito commented.

"Sure looks like it. I wonder if that's the reason why she hasn't been hanging around Li that much lately." Touya answered.

Yukito laughed. "You know it would be easier if you ask her or do you want me to ask her?"

Touya grinned. "No. I think I will just lay low this time and see what happens. If anything starts to get out of hand, that's when I'll start to get involved but not just yet."

Yukito grinned. "Even if you don't admit it, you really are protective when it comes to Sakura."

"She's my sister. What do you expect?"

"Yeah I know."

"You have always been protective of her in your own way." Touya pointed out.

Yukito then glanced back at Sakura. She was laughing with the others. He couldn't help but smile. He then replied, "Yeah. She knows that if anything happens, I will be there beside her right away even if she doesn't ask. I suppose I will be keeping my eye on the guys around her more carefully now. We don't want that precious flower crushed, do we?"

Touya grinned and sat down. "I had a feeling you just had to say that." He commented.

"Well when it comes to Sakura, it's natural for me to say those things. And don't come all clean with me because you are just as bad." Yukito answered.

"Like I'm going to admit that openly." Touya commented which made Yukito smirk.

But it seems that it wasn't only Touya and Yukito who saw Ryu's gesture. Shaoran had seen it too. He felt as if his heart was stabbed a little with what he saw. He knew what he had told Ryu and Sakura but it seems that he couldn't stop feeling it. As he and Rika walked towards the booth, manned by Sakura and Shiho, with Ryu and Kenishiro still hanging about to make sure that everything was in order, he just tried to act as normal as he could.

Shaoran smiled a little when he saw that Sakura was wearing the hair pin he had given her. "Happy birthday, Sakura. It looks good on you." He commented.

Sakura smiled and tried to hide her blush. "Thanks, Shaoran." Rika also greeted her a happy birthday as they signed in on the attendance which Sakura counter signed.

As university people arrived and prepared, seniors started to arrive too. Sakura and Shiho greeted them with a smile as Ryu and Kenishiro started to usher the seniors towards the booths that were ready.

Soon, the university fair was in full blast. When the morning's attendance period elapsed, Sakura and Shiho gathered all the folders. They then headed towards the Principal's office to give the folders and have him sign. The Principal had them leave the folders, only to have them get it back thirty minutes before lunch started.

"Isn't this a lousy way to celebrate your birthday?" Shiho suddenly asked as they were walking back.

Sakura looked at her and smiled. She turned to her and started to walk backwards. She then said, "Not really. I'm helping out others to find their path in life. That's pretty cool in my book. Besides, almost everyone I love is here today. I can't complain about that."

Shiho smiled and said, "Yeah but most of your loved ones are guys, great looking guys. Come on. It's just us girls here. When do you plan on going steady with Ryu-san?"

Sakura stopped walking and laughed a little. "Oh come on. It's not like he's officially courting me. He likes to joke around, ok. And besides, that's how Yukito-san and Shaoran treat me so it's not like I'm going to start to think anything about it."

"Maybe you should." Someone suddenly whispered in her ear which made her jump a few steps away. She turned and saw Ryu smirking at her.

"You could have warned me, Shiho. I thought you said that it's just us girls here. Unless this is not really Ryu-san but someone who's cross-dressing trying to impersonate Watanabe Ryu." Sakura said. Shiho started to laugh as Ryu grinned. "Geez. You scared me, Ryu-san." Sakura then said.

Ryu smiled and said, "I'm sorry. Anyway, I was looking for you guys."

"Looking for us? Or looking for Sakura-sempai?" Shiho stated. Sakura hit her in the arm.

"Hey." Sakura said. Ryu gave a smirk.

"Well anyway, you shouldn't be working, remember? You should be checking out the universities. Now go, go. We're right behind you." Sakura said as she ushered Ryu to go.

"Ok, ok. I just came to tell you two that class advisers are here. They are starting with the rounds as well." Ryu said.

"Ok. Now go before you get into trouble." Sakura said. Ryu went outside following orders as Sakura and Shiho followed him.

"Boy you can order tough guys like around easily can you?" Shiho commented.

"No. He just knows that he really is going to be in trouble if he doesn't get back there. Maybe not with me but he will have to take it up with Yamaguchi-sensei." Sakura answered. Shiho smiled as they started with their rounds before heading back to the entrance booth.

Shaoran saw that Sakura, Shiho and Ryu had left the building together. She seemed high spirited. He wasn't really paying attention. Then the university representative asked him, "What course would you want to take up in college?"

Shaoran turned back. The man was waiting for his answer. He glanced at Sakura through the corner of his eye and he answered, "Law. I want to take up law and be a practicing lawyer."

Rika heard it and looked at him quite surprised. "Law? Since when did you want to be a lawyer? I thought you wanted to be a businessman?" She asked when they were a few steps away from the booth.

Shaoran stopped walking and grinned. He then turned to her. He said, "It had been my childhood dream. I've wanted to be a lawyer for as long as I could remember. I just thought about taking business management because of a whim." Rika seemed speechless. She hadn't known that part of him.

Come to think of it, Shaoran never voluntarily shared with her personal information like that. He never really told her about his childhood dreams or aspirations. He had been quiet lately. He hadn't been himself in her eyes. She reasoned that maybe it was because she had hurt him badly when she broke up with him, just like Sakura had told her once. Perhaps he was still recovering from it. Rika figured that maybe Shaoran just needed time. They had to take it slow. She could understand that.

But Rika couldn't help but feel jealous of Sakura. He would tell her things and talk about them openly that he just couldn't with her. Rika couldn't help feel this longing to just be in the same ground as Sakura in Shaoran's life. She knew that he loved her or else he wouldn't have courted her or accepted her back in her life. But somehow she still felt that she needed to prove that her place in his life. It was hard. But Rika was determined to overcome it. She wasn't going to give up easily. She really did love Shaoran.

At lunch, after all the ceremonies for the first part of the day were over and the attendance sheets were handed over to the class advisers, Sakura felt a set of hands covering her eyes. She started feeling them and slowly removed it. She turned around and saw Yukito. He was smiling down at her.

"Come on. Touya and I have a surprise for you." He said. Sakura smiled and stood up. But then Yukito covered her eyes again.

"Oh come on Yukito-san. Do you really have to cover my eyes like this?" Sakura said.

She heard him laugh and say, "Yes. Come on. Don't be a kill joy. Just trust me ok. Don't worry I won't let you fall."

"I know that. It's just weird. I can understand if it was coming from you but 'nii-chan? He usually doesn't go for this sort of thing." Sakura said. She heard him laugh again.

Yukito then motioned Shiho, Ryu and Kenishiro to follow them. They looked at each other before following. Sakura then felt that they stopped. "Ok. We're about to descend some steps." Yukito said.

Sakura's guard seemed to heighten. "Ok. What do I do?" She said.

Yukito covered her eyes with one hand and took Sakura's hand in the other. "We're going to go slow. I've got you don't worry." Yukito said. Sakura smiled. She trusted him fully. The others could see that. They slowly descended.

After walking down the flight of stairs, Yukito then started to lead her through what seemed to be a sloped field. She had an idea where he had brought her…their usual place of lunch when he and Touya were still studying there. Yukito then motioned the others to go ahead to where Touya was. He had finished setting up the picnic. They just followed.

Yukito then removed his hand from her eyes. The sun blinded her for a while. But when her vision cleared, she was surprised with what Yukito and Touya had prepared for her. Touya was grinning at her as he stepped forward and gave her a hug. "Happy birthday, imouto-chan. You said you wanted a quiet celebration so here you are." Touya said.

"Thanks, 'nii-chan, Yukito-san, everybody. Wow. I certainly didn't expect this."

"But I have to ask…who are you and what did you do to my annoying big brother?" Sakura said as she took Touya's hand as he led her to the picnic area.

Touya smirked and replied, "Well imouto-chan, you get one day of niceness from me and the rest of the year you will still be the monster sister that I have."

Sakura started to laugh. "Good. I was worried there for a minute maybe I'm in an alternate universe or something." Touya smirked as Yukito started to laugh.

"They are always like this. I hope you don't mind what we've prepared." Yukito told the others.

"No. Actually we were going to ask you if this is really ok. I mean…" Shiho started. Ryu and Kenishiro seemed to agree with her.

Yukito smiled at them and said, "Don't worry. It's fine. Besides, we can't finish all of these ourselves." They smiled as they started eating.

Pictures were taken as they talked and laughed. Everybody seemed to get along and high spirited. Then Touya brought out a small cake and lighted the candle. It was a blue, white and pink cake, Sakura's favorite colors. He had baked it the night before for her.

"Oh wow…is this what you were doing last night?" Sakura said.

Touya smirked and said, "Yeah well I didn't have anything better to do and it's hard to go to cake shops and look for a cake with your favorite colors in it." Sakura laughed.

"Thanks, 'nii-chan. You're the best."

"Naturally."

Sakura closed her eyes and made her wish. _'I wish that all things would go back to the way they were…simple. I want to be able to hang with Shaoran again and talk to him about things. I want things to be right again.' _She then blew out the candle. Pictures were taken again as they shared the cake.

After a while, they all started to clean up. They quickly threw the things that they had used and fixed the others neatly before Touya placed it all back in a knap sack. After things were settled, he gave Sakura a nod that told her that it was alright for her to leave. She then gave a nod to Shiho and they both started to run towards the Principal's office to get the folders back.

The four men watched them go before they started to head back. "Watanabe-san, Sakura's heart is fragile even in that strong character that she possesses. She thinks that I don't hear her but I do. I hear her cry herself to sleep some nights. Now I don't know what really is going on or what is making her cry like that but don't go and start toying with her emotions. She cares about other people's feelings that sometimes it is too much and she forgets to leave some for herself. She would usually cry alone and never show it to other people. What people see is her smile that's it. That's my sister for you." Touya decided to say.

"Don't worry, Kinomoto-san. It is not my intention to hurt her but rather to protect her and that is why I'm doing this." Ryu answered.

Kenishiro seemed shocked that Ryu would actually tell Touya that. Yukito and Touya didn't seem unfazed. "For a split second, I saw this hint of pain in her eyes one day. I don't know the full extent of that pain or what it is about but I've seen it. I have my suspicions though I am still not sure. I only want to protect her from that. She doesn't deserve that." Ryu continued on to say.

Touya seemed intrigued because it meant that there was indeed something going on that Sakura isn't telling anybody. Perhaps it was what she was telling him and Yukito back then at the coffee shop…something about the hardest thing that she would ever have to do. He was still thinking of what it was about but he couldn't go deeper into it now. It wasn't the time and the place. He looked at Yukito. He seemed to be sharing the same thought as him. He gave him a nod.

(to be continued…)

**Before anything else, RIKA IN THIS FIC IS NOT THE RIKA SASAKI, SAKURA'S FRIEND IN THE ORIGINAL MANGA/ ANIME. SHE IS VERY DIFFERENT, TRUST ME.** Anyway, I can't believe the hits this fic has been having. I'm really honored. I just hope that I knew more on what you guys think. Anyway, there are still a lot more things to happen, a few more twists and turns happening. I hope you stick around with me until the end. Thanks for reading and reviewing up to this chapter. Please continue to review. Thanks.

Michiko


	11. Natural

Chapter 11 Natural

Ryu called a meeting for all class and club officers one afternoon. Now that the university fair was over, the next important event that cannot be further delayed was the leadership training for the class and club officers. They had postponed it in favor of the university fair. It was time that they get it over with. All the officers where there except Sakura. Shaoran noticed that. He just didn't say anything.

When they were already starting, a knock came and the door opened. Sakura entered and closed the door behind her. She bowed at them and apologized for being late. She was carrying a lot of papers. Ryu went over to her. Sakura divided the pile into two.

"These are the consent letters and these are the itinerary Seiji-san sent. I had it photocopied." Sakura told him. Ryu nodded as Kenishiro approached. Sakura then handed him the receipt.

Ryu then turned to the group and said. "Ok. What I'm holding are the consent letters. The leadership training isn't going to be here in school. We are all going to the Miyagi prefecture and have it there. And what Sakura's holding are copies of the itinerary." Ryu explained as they started handing out copies.

"Guys, listen, as for the itinerary. We are going through it today but don't expect that we are going to follow it faithfully." Sakura warned. Ryu smirked as Shiho and Kenishiro hid their smiles.

"I don't get it. If we aren't going to follow the itinerary faithfully, what's the point in having it?" One asked.

Sakura smiled and looked at Ryu. He gave her a nod. "Well, it's not like we're not going to do all those things but be flexible enough to anticipate sudden changes or it being moved to the next day. Seiji-san is unpredictable. Trust us. You'll be surprised on what will happen." Sakura said as she smiled at them and went back over to where Kenishiro and Shiho were seated.

"Now we need the consent forms as soon as possible. I'm giving you this week to hand it over to me, Sakura, Kenishiro or Morimoto." Ryu said.

As they went over the itinerary, it crossed the student council officers that it was like déjà vu. It was much like the one Narumi gave them before but ended up doing a lot more and a lot differently. They couldn't help but wonder what they were in for this time around. As Ryu was discussing the itinerary, Sakura handed Shiho and Kenishiro a slightly different itinerary for the student council officers that Narumi gave. They quickly scanned the paper.

Shiho couldn't but exclaim out loud. Sakura and Kenishiro said, "Shiho..." But everyone was looking at them. Sakura smiled apprehensively and so did Kenishiro.

"Sorry…sorry…it's just…carry on." Shiho said. Sakura and Kenishiro looked at each other again and tried to hide their laughter. Shiho glared at them a little, which made them laugh a little bit more.

In his pocket, Ryu's phone started to vibrate. It was continuous so he knew that it was a call. His eyes met with Sakura. He took it out and threw the phone at her. She checked who was calling. She was surprised when she saw the name of Narumi. "Hello? Seiji-san?" Sakura answered, a little hushed so that it won't distract them.

"Hello? Is this Watanabe Ryu?" A younger male voice said.

"No but this is his phone. He is in the middle of a meeting right now. May I ask who this is please?"

"I am Seiji Naruhito. I am Seiji Narumi's son. Is there anyone from the student council I can talk to aside from Watanabe-san?"

"Yes. I am Kinomoto Sakura, the vice president. Is there something wrong?"

"Yes. It is about the leadership training this coming weekend."

Sakura started to have a bad feeling about it. Somehow she felt that there was something definitely wrong. "Yes?" She asked apprehensively.

"It may not happen as my father had just had a heart attack and is in the hospital right now." Naruhito said. Sakura was stunned. She didn't know how to react.

"Perhaps you can look for another instructor but I am willing to take my father's place because this is very sudden and you might not get anybody in such short notice."

"Seiji-san…are you sure…I mean…"

"I have a copy of the itinerary my father prepared. I have gone through it. He was looking forward to it. He had asked me a few days back that if anything happened to him, he made me promise to fulfill this."

"But this is a trying time for you and your family…are you sure? I mean…how is Seiji-san? Is he getting better?" Sakura said. There was a long pause from the other end.

"My father is in a critical state right now. The doctors are still not certain. This is his will. I will fulfill it for him. Please…Kinomoto-san…please fax me the list of names of the participants. I would want to go through it myself. Let us just do our best for him. I will call again if there are changes."

"Ok, Seiji-san. I will honor your wishes. I will fax them right now. I pray that he gets better."

"Thank you." Was all Naruhito could answer as he hung up.

Sakura then asked Shiho, "I need the copy of all the participants. I'll give it back to you right away. I just need to fax it." She looked at Sakura. She knew that there was something wrong. Kenishiro and Ryu noticed it too.

"Is everything alright, Sakura?" Kenishiro whispered.

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Seiji-san is…he's not going to be able to make it this weekend…" She said. Shiho and Kenishiro's eyes flew wide open. Sakura gave them a small nod. They were speechless they didn't understand.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Ryu-san but this is important." Sakura then said loudly as she turned to Ryu. He stopped and looked at her. There was sadness in her eyes. Sakura then stood to address the group. "Uh there isn't an easy way to say this but I'm just going to say it. This weekend, Seiji Narumi isn't going to make it." Sakura said as it generated sudden murmurs from the group. It left Ryu dumbfounded.

"Please…please…Seiji Narumi didn't cancel or anything like that. He…" Sakura paused. She took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she had to utter those words. "He just had a heart attack and is now in critical condition. He's at the hospital at the moment. He wished his son to take over. So this weekend, Seiji Naruhito, Seiji Narumi's son, will be the one to conduct the leadership training. There will be slight changes I think but please understand that this is going to be a hard task for him as it will be for all of us. Please go through the itinerary that he sent and we will wait for his son to contact again if he plans on changing it."

Sakura then turned to Ryu and gave him the itinerary Narumi gave for the student council. She then said, "I'm just going to fax it over to Seiji-san." Sakura then handed him his phone. "He will call again." She said as Ryu nodded and Sakura left to fax the list of participants.

After a few minutes, the Principal came. Sakura had informed him about what happened at the same time that he had hung up the phone with Naruhito. He came to address them, "It is an unfortunate turn of events. We are all wishing for the best. However, things must go on as he wishes it to be. He trusts that his son would be able to do the job and so I have no objections to it. Everything will still be according to plan. If there are changes, he will call immediately and let the student council know and they will relay the information on to you."

It was the time that Sakura came back in and gave the Principal a bow before heading over to where Shiho was and handed her the paper. "Kinomoto-chan, is there anymore things that Naruhito had said after you have faxed the copy?"

"No, Yamaguchi-sensei." Sakura answered as the Principal nodded and then dismissed them for their extracurricular activities.

As they scrambled to get their things in order before they head to their respective clubs, Ryu said to Sakura, "Sorry that it had to be you who answered that call and tell everybody."

Sakura smiled at him and replied, "Don't worry about it. It's part of the job. Seiji-san didn't say when he'll call back but he will definitely call you. If there is anything, just tell us though I won't be able to answer if you call until 9 tonight."

"9? Why what's up?" Ryu asked and Shiho and Kenishiro wondered as well.

"I've got ballet. Don't ask. It's not like I really wanted to." Sakura answered.

"Then why are you taking it up?" Shiho asked.

"Well I was chosen to take part in the figure skating tournament in September. Coach wanted me to take up ballet in preparation. She said it's for more graceful movements or something like that. She said that ballet is different from gymnastics so I haven't got much of a choice."

They looked at each other. Sakura did have a lot of things in her hands and they do mean a lot.

"Listen I've got to go. I still need to practice the squad's new routine. See you guys." Sakura said as she dashed off the door.

Shaoran wanted to talk to her but she was really in a hurry so she just told him, "I'm really sorry, Shaoran. But I really can't talk. Bye." She then dashed off.

Shaoran stood there by the door for a while looking at where Sakura had disappeared to. Ryu then stood beside him before he left for practice. "She really does work hard doesn't she?" Ryu commented. Shaoran looked at him and didn't say anything. "It's amazing how she keeps her spirit up and her activity level considering that aside from school, student council duties, cheerleading and gymnastics, she still manages to do figure skating and ballet." Ryu added. Shaoran seemed surprised.

Ryu noticed his reaction. "Figure skating? Ballet?" Shaoran said.

"What? You didn't know? Sakura has been figure skating at the club near the mall for a month now and she has just been chosen to participate in this figure skating tournament in September. Because of that, her coach wants her to take up ballet, which she is now doing." Ryu explained. Shaoran didn't say anything. He was completely taken by surprise. Sakura hadn't told him any of that.

That afternoon, Shaoran planned to wait for Sakura and walk her to figure skating or something. But it seemed that after she had finished with the gymnastic drills with the others, she had already ran off to her practice. Shaoran saw Tomoyo, Naoko and Chiharu. He called to them and walked towards them. They were surprised to see him.

"Hey you guys have a minute?" Shaoran asked. They looked at each other and nodded. "Hey, what's up with Sakura lately? I mean, is she in some sort of trouble or something?" Shaoran asked.

It seemed to have confused the three. "What do you mean, Li-sempai?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yeah. Sakura's her usual perky self." Naoko said.

"Even if she did have a problem, isn't it that she always tells you first?" Chiharu commented.

"That's just it. I haven't really talked to her lately. We haven't had a decent conversation in over a month." Shaoran said.

"Sakura's just so busy right now." Tomoyo commented.

"Yeah. I heard. I heard that she just started ballet, while she started figure skating a month ago." Shaoran answered. Tomoyo seemed silenced. Chiharu and Naoko didn't seem to know how to answer to that either.

"Look, if you ask me, I think it's more like she's giving you space, you know." Tomoyo suddenly said. Shaoran looked at her. Tomoyo seemed a little apprehensive in saying what she was about to say because she wasn't sure if it were really what was happening. It was just her impression on things. "You and Rika-san are a couple and of course when you go steady with someone you will need to have some space to grow and just be free. I don't know but…this is just what I am thinking about this entire thing…I think she is just being your best friend. You two are really, really close and with you into a relationship, she might be thinking that it's not helping you at all if you two remained that close." Tomoyo explained.

"Yeah I know that but it seems that…nothing. Anyway, thanks. Watch over her for me." Shaoran said before he left. Tomoyo, Chiharu and Naoko looked at each other and watched him leave. They weren't sure how they would make out of what had just happened.

"Listen guys. I'll catch you later." Tomoyo said as she started to run after Shaoran. Chiharu and Naoko watched her go.

"Hey, Li-sempai wait up!" Tomoyo called out.

Shaoran turned around and saw Tomoyo trying to catch up with him. He stopped walking and looked at her. She was panting, catching her breath.

"You want to go and check out how she's doing?" Tomoyo asked. Shaoran looked at her, not quite certain what she was asking him.

"I was thinking on stopping by the skating rink to check out how Sakura's doing. She is preparing for a tournament. You want to come?" Tomoyo said, smiling at him. Shaoran said nothing as he started to walk with Tomoyo. "I've gone to see her there a couple of times. She's pretty good actually. So when she told me that she was chosen to compete, I wasn't really surprised." Tomoyo commented. Shaoran smirked.

When they were about to enter, Shaoran stopped. Tomoyo looked at him and smiled. "Don't worry. If you don't want her to see you, it's alright because she's really not going to see us. It's pretty cold though. Come on. You'll be amazed on what she can do now." Tomoyo reassured him.

Shaoran gave her a nod and opened the door and let Tomoyo enter before him. They then sat by the bleachers and watched. Sakura was practicing on the ice. She was wearing pants and a warm jacket. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail.

"That's her coach over there." Tomoyo pointed out a woman outside the rink. She seemed to be middle-aged. "She's Russian. She came here and started this club. It's really amazing that Sakura was able to impress her and convinced her to take her as a student." Tomoyo commented.

"Well Sakura has that quality in her." Shaoran answered as he watched Sakura. She was trying a combination of jumps it seems.

Tomoyo couldn't help but smile. "Did she tell you? She was also accepted as an intern at the French embassy." Tomoyo said. Shaoran looked at her.

"Really? She had been thinking about that for quite some time. It's great to hear that she got in. It's a step closer to her dream." Shaoran said.

"Yeah. But it wasn't her who applied." Tomoyo said.

Shaoran then asked, "What do you mean?"

Tomoyo looked at Sakura down there skating before answering. "Tsukishiro-san. He applied for Sakura and he was able to get the internship for her. It was his birthday gift from her. She's going to work there for the summer."

"I can't say that it surprises me that much. He has always had this soft spot for Sakura. He always looks out for her. They have always been close. It's something not out of character of him." Shaoran commented as he looked back at Sakura.

"As you two are." Tomoyo commented back.

Shaoran said nothing. He didn't register a reaction in his face. Tomoyo noticed that it was a subject that brought this emotional roller coaster between the two. She wasn't sure about the extent or how much it really was but she knew that it was there.

"You miss her, don't you?" Tomoyo was bold enough to ask.

Shaoran didn't answer right away. "I guess you can say that. I see her around school a lot but it's different now, especially with Ryu courting her."

"She is being linked with a lot of guys lately." Tomoyo replied with a short laugh.

"What do you expect? She is a beautiful person inside and out." Shaoran answered.

"Li-sempai, forgive me for saying this but…I was really surprised that you got back with Rika-san. I thought that maybe this time around you and Sakura would finally hook up. You two just look good together and seeing you guys together seemed so natural that I guess it made me believe that you two were made for each other. I guess I'm wrong but it really surprised me. Now, not seeing you two together is a thing that people are starting to accept too. I guess you like Rika-san that much to lose your best friend over." Tomoyo said as she stood up and walked down towards the skating rink.

Shaoran seemed to have been slapped across the face with that statement. It was like Tomoyo saw something that he couldn't see or understand. He watched as Tomoyo walked towards Sakura and she skated towards her. Immediately they were laughing together and seemed very happy. He and Sakura shared that once.

If things where back then, he wouldn't have hesitated to go down there by the skating rink and talk to her himself. Sakura would have told him what she was going through lately, what new things she learned and joined, her internship at the French embassy, simple nothings that they would usually talk about. They would hang together somewhere and not afraid to be themselves. Share secrets. Share their thoughts. Yes. Shaoran missed her. He missed Sakura. He missed his best friend.

He saw Sakura's coach call her to get ready. Sakura smiled and told Tomoyo something before making her way at the middle of the rink. She positioned herself. Music then began to play and Sakura started to skate to the music. He had never seen her dance to the music like that. She was one with the music. So much emotion and grace that it was like a stabbing feeling in his heart as he watched her skate her short program presentation. Her facial features. Her body rhythm. Her precise movement. Her confidence in her jumps and spins.

Shaoran hadn't noticed how much Sakura had grown as a person. He hadn't noticed her at all. He had been blind to her real self that it pained him. It made him feel like such a failure in being her best friend. He couldn't even come near her without this feeling that he couldn't explain. Things were changing and he couldn't stop it. He was lost. He didn't understand what he was feeling.

(to be continued…)

It's easy to overlook things when we think that we will never lose it or the person. We are left to reflect when things start to change without us even noticing it. It's wise to never take things for granted. Anyway, thanks to those who read and reviewed up to this chapter. I can't believe the response this fic has been given. I really, really appreciate it. Though I must still ask that you please sent in what you think. Thanks.

Michiko


	12. Leadership Training

Chapter 12 Leadership Training

It was 7:45. The bus that was going to take them to the Miyagi prefecture was going to leave at 8 pm. All of the officers assembled at the bus station as they waited to board. Ryu was with Shiho, Kenishiro and the Principal as they were overseeing matters. Sakura hadn't arrived yet. Ryu and the others knew that she would be coming from figure skating at 7:30. After a few minutes of so, they saw her running towards them carrying her backpack behind her. She was panting when she got to them.

"Sorry I'm late." Sakura said as she was catching her breath.

Ryu then handed her the assignment. "You're in charge of the juniors. I'm taking charge of the seniors. Moritomo is in charge of the freshmen and Kenishiro is in charge of the clubs. I know it's a sudden change in plans but I think it's easier this way." Ryu said. Sakura nodded as she took the paper from him.

There were 120 participants all-in-all. The Principal then walked towards them and called their attention. "Alright everyone. We are about to leave. I will assign Morimoto-chan and Uchiha-kun to be in that bus. Now let the freshmen go first since there are many club officers. Those who won't have any space left, occupy this bus over here. Watanabe-kun and Kinomoto-chan, oversee that your groups board that last bus now. Alright then." The Principal said as he then motioned them to start boarding.

It was as to be expected. When all were in the bus, Sakura went on ahead inside to do a head check. It was somehow an unnerving experience. There wasn't exactly room to run or hide from Shaoran. Her consolation was the fact that Rika was there too and she wouldn't want him to leave her much.

"Any of you guys have motion sickness?" Sakura asked.

A few raised their hands and admitted. Sakura took note of it and asked them to stand up. She then went in front and said, "Hi guys. Um listen, these guys over here have motion sickness. Do you mind if I asked you to change places with them?" Her voice was soft and gentle. She knew that it was something a little too much to ask but it was absolutely necessary. She didn't like ordering people around too much. She would rather result to asking politely. It works better that way.

The guys in front seem to smile and stood right away. A few girls smiled too and stood as well and gave way to those who had motion sickness. Sakura smiled at them and thanked them a lot. They told her that there wasn't any problem.

As her schoolmates with motion sickness settled in, in front, Sakura told them, "You guys have plastic bags in case…you know."

"Yeah. Don't worry about it, Sakura. Thank you." One said.

"Yeah, Sakura. Thanks." Another exclaimed.

Sakura smiled and told them, "Well, if you can't handle it or something, tell me. I've got the first aid kit. There are anti-motion sickness medicines there."

They nodded. "You know you can pass as a stewardess." A senior guy commented.

Sakura laughed. "Yeah, right. Uh-huh." She said. He started to laugh.

"Why? Am I wrong?" He asked his seatmate.

"Sakura is pretty and tall and has a fine way of making a trip pleasant." He commented.

"Right. You know you can pass as a salesman. But sorry flattery and I are not really friends so I'll pass." Sakura replied as the guy started to laugh and those in front who were in the conversation. They all laughed a little as Sakura left them and headed to the back and went to check the others.

"You guys ok being transferred here?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah. It's fine." They said.

"Alright then." Sakura said as she went over to the front of the bus to meet up with Ryu. She told him that all was set. She then got her backpack and the first aid kit from one of the seats in front as she and Ryu went over to the back since that was where the only seats were left.

But before they went along, Ryu got her back pack from her. Sakura turned but he smiled at her and nodded at her to move forward. Sakura knew that the bus was leaving soon so she didn't have much of a choice than to let Ryu carry her bag.

After they settled in at the bag and the bus started to move, Ryu asked, "How was figure skating practice?"

Sakura smiled and replied, "I can't say that I'm doing better. I haven't finished compiling the music for my free program. I was thinking of asking Eriol for help about it. I think he has better ideas than what I'm coming up with."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well that's just the problem. I have a lot of ideas that I'm not even sure about it all. I mean, it's more like a feeling that when I see or hear it, I'll know that it is it…that sort of thing." Ryu smirked. He shook his head.

"I know it's weird so you don't have to tell me about it. I'm just nervous. It's going to be my first figure skating competition."

Ryu grinned and said, "What are you so worried about? You've been a cheerleader for a long time. More or less it's the same thing."

"I know but it's just…you know my first time to perform on my own. All eyes will be on me then and the thought scares me."

"Stage fright. You?"

"Hey! You make it sound like it's all so unnatural. Cut me some slack with ya." Sakura replied, almost laughing.

Ryu couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright. You're entitled to some stage fright." Ryu commented which made Sakura laugh a little and shake her head.

From across the row, a male senior who was a classmate of Ryu, their class vice president, said, "Hey, Ryu, Sakura!" Both turned to him. "Was the fountain in school the surprise Seiji-san had in store for you guys when you guys had your leadership training?"

Ryu and Sakura looked at each other and nodded. But it was more like an understatement. "Yeah. I guess you can say that." Sakura answered. He seemed baffled with Sakura's answer. They could see his confusion. But it seemed that the conversation peeked the interest of others sitting near them.

"I still can't believe that you guys did that. I mean-wow!" He commented.

Then his seatmate said, "How did you guys know what to do?"

"Seiji-san didn't actually just leave us there without telling us what to do. I mean, he gave us our assignments and he also handed us the architectural plan for the thing. But from there, we had to work with the knowledge that we knew, which wasn't really much." Ryu said.

"It was really a learning process. I'd have to say that the entire thing is really more on luck actually." Sakura replied laughing.

"I wonder if he will have his son let us do that too?" Another said.

Sakura smiled and replied, "I doubt that very much. I have this feeling that Seiji-san would have you do something different, us something different."

"I have to go with Sakura on this one. It's not really in his personality to be repetitive about something to drive home a message." Ryu added.

"So what do you think we're going to do there?" One asked.

Ryu and Sakura looked at each other. They were wondering about that themselves. "Honestly…we have no idea. Aside from the itinerary, we don't know anything else." Ryu answered while Sakura nodded.

They started to converse but it died down soon as everyone seemed to grow tired as the night deepened. They knew that others had already fell asleep so they kept their voices in check.

Ryu noticed that Sakura had fallen asleep. Ryu couldn't help but smile as he took off his jacket and placed it over her to keep her warm. He then leaned her head on his shoulder to keep her from hitting her head on the window. He knew that she was exhausted, from school work, to practice of cheerleading to figure skating. He admired her determination and perseverance. Everything that she did was nothing short of amazing.

Ryu knew that she was having personal problems with Shaoran. He still hadn't asked her the entirety of it but he knew that it was a touchy subject especially having him as her best friend. Come to think of it, Ryu never really knew how they had become best friends. Shaoran was a year older than her and up front it seemed that they had really opposing personalities. Sakura was outgoing while Shaoran was stoic. But when they were together it seemed they didn't have any difference at all. Shaoran was very up front about wanting to protect her, especially how he treats her. Ryu hasn't seen Shaoran that sweet towards Rika lately. Actually, it looked more that Sakura brought the real Shaoran out more than Rika did. But Ryu knew that Shaoran wasn't the type who would play with people's emotions. He must have really like Rika, that was all.

The next day when they arrived, Sakura woke up and was a little dazed as if she was still lost. It took awhile to register where she was. When her thoughts became in focus, she realized that a jacket was covering her to keep her warm. She realized that it was Ryu's. She also realized that she was leaning on him. She slowly straightened up as Ryu also stirred and woke up. He smiled at her and told her a good morning, which she returned. She then returned his jacket and thanked him. Ryu smiled at her.

As they were preparing to leave the bus, Sakura's phone began to ring. She was surprised when she saw who was calling. She quickly picked it up, "Hello? Good morning. Seiji-san?"

"I'm so sorry to call you this early but I couldn't get through to Watanabe-san's phone. Anyway, I just heard some news from the hospital. Please continue on with the training as planned but I will have to go to the hospital." Naruhito said.

"Huh? Seiji-san, is everything alright?" Sakura asked.

There was a brief pause from the other line but then he answered, "My father…well…proceed first to the Inn instead of the morning session premises. You all know what is to be done. I will call again later." Naruhito then hung up.

Sakura quickly looked at Ryu. Sakura stood and said, "Um can I have everyone's attention please."

Everyone stopped what they were doing as they turned to Sakura. "I just had a call from Seiji-san. Um, something has come up so we are to go to the inn in the meantime and start with the sessions there. Please take you seats. Thanks." She then turned to Ryu as he didn't need to be told as he quickly made his way out of the bus. Sakura followed so that they may inform the other groups, the Principal and Shiho and Kenishiro too.

Outside, the Principal met with the student council. After Sakura relayed the new development, he seemed deep in thought. After thinking awhile he said, "No. The tasks still stand. I know he said to wait and have the sessions but we can't actually have the sessions if we haven't done anything yet. I authorize the student council to start carrying out the leadership training. We don't have much time here so let's just do our best and try to have fun ok?" He then smiled at them. They laughed as they got nodded and got on the bus.

"Ok guys vice presidents please follow me. Take your bags and please leave the bus." Sakura said when she and Ryu got back in. They headed back inside as Sakura got her things. The vice presidents seemed a little confused but followed what she said.

Sakura turned to Ryu and gave him a smile as she got her things. "I think you should take the first aid kit. You're going to need it more than we do." She said, almost laughing.

Ryu smiled and took it. "Good luck." He said. Sakura gave him a nod.

"I checked my phone. It went dead. I have a spare battery so call me if something comes up." Ryu said.

Sakura gave him a nod. "Good luck. Try not to get yourselves into too much trouble ok?" Sakura said as she left with the others.

"What did Sakura mean by 'not get yourselves into too much trouble'? What are we going to do exactly?" One of the class presidents asked as they too gathered their things and prepared to disembark. Ryu smirked.

"It's just one of Sakura's ways of saying take care." Shaoran answered as he stood. He didn't make eye contact with Ryu. They all then headed out.

Outside, Ryu met up with all the presidents as he said, "Alright guys, listen up! It's seven o'clock and your task is that by noon, every one should have been able to create something out of glass. You need to be able to create one from fire and the other from recycled glass scraps that you will be able to find." Ryu then started handing out stubs. "This will be your ticket to glass-making shops around here but it's a one-shot deal so make it work, make it happen. You can't use your own money or buy things, you have to find it for yourself. Don't even try to fake it 'coz we will know. Just be creative and you will be fine. There's no group effort here. It will be an individual accomplishment. And lastly, remember that the skills you will learn this morning will be essential for the thing that you will have to do this afternoon. Alright then if you guys don't have any questions, you can go and we will meet you back at the Inn across the street at noon sharp." Ryu then added as he sent them off on their mission.

Ryu made his way to the Inn to drop off his stuff and wait for his fellow student council officers. He smirked at the thought that he, Sakura, Kenishiro and Shiho had dropped a bombshell at the other officers. They knew that all of them had no idea of what they were going to do and were confused and lost as they were when Narumi had conducted their leadership training.

Narumi. Then it crossed Ryu's mind…how was Narumi Seiji? What happened all of a sudden? He refused to acknowledge the feeling he got that maybe he had already passed on. It was a daunting truth that he didn't want to think about. He didn't want to be morbid about it. At the Inn reception after he had already left his bag inside the room, Ryu sat there waiting for the others to arrive.

Meanwhile, Sakura brought the vice presidents to a fan art shop. Narumi Seiji had already made the necessary arrangements. She then told them when they were seated and while the Master craftsman was standing next to her, "Guys this is Abe Matsaharu. Abe-san is the Master craftsman of this shop. He will demonstrate to you how to create delicate, hand-made fans. Now don't think that it is a simple task. You will have to create intricate designs that you will be able to stencil on a gold leaf and cut it out and attach it perfectly on the fan. Your task is to create a fan with a gold leaf design that would be considered a masterpiece. Your judge will be Abe-san and you have until noon to finish this task. Once you've finished, you may proceed to the Inn and wait for further instructions for this afternoon's activities. Please remember that whatever skill that you will learn this morning will be most useful for this afternoon's activity so please take it seriously. If there are no more questions, I will now turn over the floor to Abe-san." Sakura smiled at them and bowed, before leaving.

Sakura then excused herself and made her way to the Inn. She met up with Ryu at the receiving hall. She smiled at him and told him that she would place her bag in the room. He waited for her out there.

When she came back, Ryu asked, "So how was the giving off the mission?"

Sakura laughed as she took a seat next to him. "It was shocking, as we have been when Seiji-san gave us our task during our leadership training." Ryu smirked. "You know I've always wondered how Seiji-san comes up with these weird tasks that catch you off guard but then again they mean a lot and it all makes sense." Sakura commented as she sat back in her chair. Ryu smiled.

As they waited for Kenishiro and Shiho, at that moment Kenishiro and the other treasurers had arrived at the temple shrine. After getting the shrine head priest, he then turned to the others and said, "Ok you guys, here is your task. You have until noon today to clean up this temple. There will be an upcoming festival here so this temple needs to be in top shape. Anjo-san will be assigning you different tasks. Until noon, he will be your mentor and guide. Please follow exactly what he says and take note of it because the things you will be learning today will be used in this afternoon's activity. After you have finished, proceed to the Inn and wait for further instructions. If there aren't any questions, I'll leave you to Anjo-san so that you may begin." Kenishiro gave them a small smile as he bowed at them and at Anjo-san before he left and headed for the Inn.

Shiho too was telling her group about their mission. "Hey listen up you guys. Ok today you guys are going to learn how it is to be an electrician. Now don't worry it's prefect safe. These guys here will be with you every step of the way. They will be your mentors until noon. So your task is to make those lamps work from scratch. You have until noon to complete the task. After, head back to the Inn to wait for further instruction. Good luck you guys. If there aren't any questions I'll be leaving you guys now so that you can start with your mission." Shiho said cheerfully as she smiled at them and left. She then made her way to the Inn.

When Kenishiro and Shiho had already freshened up a bit and have placed their bags in their respective rooms, they all sat at the receiving room for a while. "Hmm. It sure feels better to be a facilitator this time around." Shiho commented as she sat down.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh at Ryu and Kenishiro smirked. Then they were silent. It seemed that the group's thoughts drifted on the same person, Narumi. They looked at each other. As if reading each other's mind, they stood up and took their cameras. They then headed to the hospital to see Narumi before they headed out to check on the others and take pictures for documentation.

(to be continued…)

Hmmm this chapter may be a little dull in my standards but I just had to write it this way. Well anyway, I never really did think that I'd reach chapter 12 but hey it was a welcome surprise. Now that I think about it, more or less this fic is going to be twenty plus pages. I'm not sure yet because I haven't really finished writing the fic. But anyway, I never also did expect that this fic would be taken in by you guys the way it did. Thanks. But I still have to ask you guys though to please send in your reviews because I really would like to know what you think. Thanks again.

Michiko


	13. Life Training

Chapter 13 Life Training

Ryu, Sakura, Kenishiro and Shiho made their way towards the hospital. There they were surprised to have met up with the Principal. There was a grave expression on his face. They didn't need to be told what had happened. It seemed that the heart attack proved to be really grave that it became fatal in a couple of days. It was a heavy loss. Even if they had just met Narumi Seiji a short while back, their respect towards the man ran deep. Their admiration and respect towards him was real. They knew that they would never forget the things he had taught them and how he had touched their lives in a big way.

The Principal finally introduced them to Naruhito. They were told that he was the eldest among Narumi's six children. They estimated his age to be around mid-forty's. He greatly reminded them of Narumi. But it was clear that the sudden death of Narumi took its toll on him and the rest of the family. They paid their last respects before the Principal and Naruhito ushered them to proceed with their duties.

The four decided to separate so that they could cover more ground. Armed with their cameras, they went around started to check on the others as they were fulfilling their individual missions for that morning. As Sakura walked down the streets, she saw Shaoran and another senior class president. They seem to have already gathered what they needed and were on their way to the glass sculpting shop. Sakura smiled as she took a picture. They didn't seem to notice. Sakura smiled again and called out, "Hey guys! Wait up!"

They turned towards her. They were surprised actually to see her.

Sakura smiled as she ran up to meet with them. "So? How's it going? You two doing ok?" She asked.

"Try lost." Shaoran commented.

Sakura was a little taken aback. "Lost? But you were never like not good with directions…you seriously can't find the glass sculpting shop?" Sakura teased.

Shaoran smirked. "Very funny but I was kinda going for not knowing why the hell we are subjected to glass sculpting when we are supposed to be having a leadership training." Shaoran answered.

Sakura laughed. "I was just playing around, Shaoran, geez. Bite my head off will you? You know if you don't loosen up, you'll grow old early." She said. "But anyway, don't worry. We've anticipated that you guys would be feeling that. We know exactly how that feels. We went through that sort of thing, remember? Just do the things that you guys have been tasked with and you will eventually know that it's not for nothing." Sakura added as she smiled at them.

"Sakura, can I ask you something?" The senior president said. Sakura turned to him and nodded. "I know this is not a game and you guys wouldn't be playing us. But how come the class presidents are subjected to sifting through trash to get glass to make something, while the vice presidents have to create fans using gold leaves, secretaries become electricians and treasurers into shrine cleaners or something?"

Sakura smiled and walked towards him. She then took some bottles from him. She then lifted it up and let the sun's rays run through it. Sakura squinted and smiled. She then said as she was studying the piece of glass, "Sometimes when we see things in new light, we get blinded by it. We either close our eyes or continue looking foolishly. Those who close their eyes follow their initial reactions and well they miss something that they could have seen if only they looked. Those who continue to look foolishly maybe considered fools for awhile but then they discover this hidden treasure that truly opens their eyes."

Sakura smiled and gave the bottle back. She then said, "We are not forcing you to proceed. As a matter of fact, it's ok if you don't finish this mission. That is your choice. Just be prepared to live the path you choose because once it's chosen, you cannot turn back. It would be a shame though if you don't discover the meaning for yourself though it might also mean that you are not ready. Either way, it's really ok. I guess it all boils down to the fact that there are things which I cannot answer for you and the answers you are looking for will come at the right time."

He looked at Sakura. He was rather speechless. He took the bottle back. Sakura smiled at him. "Well, if you guys don't need me to show you where to go or if you don't have any more questions, I guess I better be going. I need to check on the others as well." Sakura said. She smiled at them and turned to leave.

"Hey, Sakura." Shaoran then said. Sakura stopped and turned to face him. He smirked and said, "I've got one last question." Sakura turned to him. She somewhat felt that she knew that he had something under his sleeve. Shaoran approached her and said, "When this is over, will I eventually understand why I'm feeling that I'm losing my best friend?" He said it in a low voice so that only Sakura would hear.

Sakura bit her lip but forced herself to smile. "Get back to work, Shaoran. I can't cover your ass if you don't make the deadline. I can't authorize an extension." She answered.

Shaoran smirked. "I thought you'd give me a 'cryptic' answer as well. But I guess it's asking too much." He said.

Sakura laughed but replied, "Not a chance." But then she answered in a low voice so that he'd be the only one to hear, "You're still my best friend and nothing can ever change that. You just tend to think too much that you blow things out of proportion." Shaoran smirked.

Sakura smiled at them and left. She started to make her way towards a different direction than what they were supposed to take. As she walked down the street, she wasn't sure if she had done the right thing. Shaoran's question struck her. She knew that Shaoran was a very sharp, intelligent person and it was his specialty to spot that sort of thing. She couldn't help but wonder how long he had been thinking that. But still it made her smile. Shaoran hadn't really confronted her the way she had expected. He was less than hostile about it. He had actually allowed the space between them. It seemed that he had given her the liberty to distance herself a little with all the things that were happening. She shook her head. It wasn't the time to start thinking about it. She had other things at hand that she needed to deal with before she could allow herself to her thoughts.

By noon, all of the officers seemed to have finished what they were tasked to do. Sakura and the others could see that they were pretty worn out from the morning's adventures and misadventures. They smiled at them and told them that they had an hour to freshen up and get things together before the afternoon's activity was to begin. Some really hated the idea that they were once again left in the dark while others were just relieved that the morning's activities were over. It somewhat made them a little anxious on what they should expect for the remainder of the training camp. Some dreaded the thought that maybe they were going to exchange jobs. The student council hid their smiles and laughter. They didn't know that later that day they would be taken by surprise as well.

At one, the student council had all of them meet in one place. Ryu then said, "Alright then. Now please group yourselves according to your year and section or club."

Scuffling was heard for awhile coupled with murmurs from the crowd. They wondered what they were going to be subjected to this time. Ryu then stood in front of the seniors' group, Sakura with the juniors, Shiho with the freshmen and Kenishiro with the clubs respectively. Ryu then said, "Ok. Now you guys have to create a lamp per class or club. The catch here is that every one of you must be able to apply the things that you have learned this morning. It must be seen in the outcome. The materials will be given to you but how to do it will be purely up to you guys."

As the student council was giving out the materials per group, they began to ask, "Why do we have to make a lamp now?" Ryu and the others smiled at them and kept saying that they would understand when it was all over. Some were really frustrated with the vague answers coming from the student council members. But they had no choice but to comply.

The student council allowed them to find their work space and when they were certain that everyone was working, they started doing the rounds. They smiled inwardly as they saw that all were coming up with impressive work. It was a pleasing thought that they were still giving their very best amidst all the frustrations.

By six, all lamps were in. One by one, they presented their work to be sure that it was actually working and that all had contributed to it. As each group finished their task, they were given the time to relax and do whatever they wished until they were called again for the last agenda of the day. As the last group left the room and the student council was wrapping things up, Naruhito joined them. They honestly hadn't expected him there especially in the advent on his father's death.

"Seiji-san. Forgive me for saying this but…is it really alright if you come here now?" Sakura asked.

He gave her a sad smile. He then said, "This was my father's last wish. This is my father's legacy. It is an honor to be here in his name. I will finish what he had started. Now, if you all would be so kind enough to ready yourselves, eat something and I will meet all off you outside at exactly seven pm." He then went on to talk with the Principal.

Ryu, Sakura, Shiho and Kenishiro looked at each other. They didn't say anything as they resigned to the request. They excused themselves and left to tell the others and prepare themselves as well. They had no idea what was going on. It wasn't part of the original plan.

Sakura had a bad feeling about what they were about to do. She had this feeling, the same feeling that her brother would always make her feel whenever he would tease her as a kid. Secret shivers ran through her spine. She told herself that she was being silly. She was almost an adult. She shouldn't let childhood fears bother her anymore. She kept it all to herself. She hadn't noticed though that Shaoran was studying her movements ever since he thought he saw her body register fear that he was all too familiar with at a glance. He decided to keep an eye on her just in case.

As they all gathered outside the Inn, Naruhito and the Principal went in front of the group. They then divided the group into two. They divided the group randomly. Sakura, Shaoran, Rika found themselves in one group with several others while Ryu, Shiho, Kenishiro were grouped in the other.

Naruhito or the Principal didn't offer an explanation as they ushered the group into different directions. Naruhito took charge of Sakura's group. Naruhito led them to this big, dark cave by the sea shore. Sakura gulped inwardly. She never did like big and dark places especially if there were some folklore surrounding them. No one seemed to notice her agitation aside from Shaoran.

Naruhito then spoke up. "Listen everyone. You will be paired randomly. You are to enter this cave. You will need to place these candles at the shrine at the end of this tunnel. Then come back out to let the next pair enter. Once we've done, we will all enter and I will take you at another end of this shrine, to a place by the sea to tell you its secrets."

He then looked at Sakura. "Kinomoto-chan, if you please…" Sakura looked at him quite surprised. "Is there a problem?" He asked.

"Ah no, no. Um…alright…" Sakura answered as she stepped forward. She took a deep breath and was almost reluctant to enter but she knew that she had to go…to top it all off…she just had to go first…

Suddenly she felt someone take her hand. She turned around and was surprised to see Shaoran. He had grabbed her hand. He quickly asked Naruhito, "It is alright if I'm her partner, right? You did say that it's a random thing."

Naruhito gave a nod. Shaoran then started to lead the way, pulling Sakura along. "Hey…wait…Shaoran…" Sakura said but it was no use so she allowed him to drag her along.

The further they went inside the cave, the darker it became. They were both silent. Shaoran knew that Sakura was really uncomfortable about it. He was about to say something but then he heard Sakura say, "Hey, thanks…for volunteering in accompanying me inside this cave…it kinda gives me the creeps."

"Yeah I know. You've been agitated since we left the Inn. It's not too hard to figure that one out. You know you really shouldn't let your brother's teasing get to you like this." Shaoran answered. He then heard her laugh a little as they both grew silent again.

Armed with only a flashlight and unlit candles that were to be lit and left at the shrine, the darkness seemed daunting as well as the silence. Shaoran then decided to say, "I heard you started figure skating and ballet. It's pretty cool."

"Oh that." Sakura said and paused a little bit but then proceeded on to say, "I just thought of trying something new. It's not too bad. I'm starting to discover this part of myself that I never thought I could do before like being able to perform in front of thousands of people by myself and have the confidence to make those hard figure skating routines, that sort of thing. As for ballet, well I don't know how to feel about that just yet."

Shaoran then remembered the day that he went with Tomoyo to watch Sakura skate. She really good and it was simply amazing to watch her perform. What did he expect anyway? Sakura was always very athletic. But he did have to admit that she was really good for a beginner.

"So, I know it's not any of my business but…how are you and Rika-san doing? I hope you guys aren't having any problems or anything." Sakura said which brought Shaoran back to reality.

"We're ok."

"Ok? Just ok? You know you can really be a little too vague some-" Sakura said but suddenly stopped. Shaoran felt that she was no longer holding his hand.

He turned and directed the light at her. "Sakura, are you-" Shaoran started to ask but then his eyes flew wide open when he was what had tripped Sakura.

She seemed to haven't seen it yet. He quickly covered her eyes with one of his hands. "Hey, what's that for? If you hadn't noticed I can barely see with the flashlight, thanks for taking all of my vision." Sakura said sarcastically.

Shaoran was a little uncertain about things. Suddenly he started to feel that there was something definitely wrong with how it felt around them.

"Shaoran…please…don't do this…you're scaring me…" Sakura then said when Shaoran didn't answer her.

Shaoran knew that she was afraid. It was very clear in her voice. He embraced her, careful not to let the light touch near where they were. "Sakura, don't be afraid. I'm here. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He whispered.

Sakura could tell from his voice that there was something definitely wrong from his voice. She then started to feel around her. To her surprise she started to feel this hand. It was cold. It didn't seem real but it sent goose bumps all over her body. "Shaoran…tell me I tripped on a rock or a piece of log…please…because I can feel a slight dampness and I think I can touch a h..ha…hand…" Sakura said as her voice faltered with fear.

_Damn. _Shaoran thought as he let go of Sakura a little bit. He then started to help her up when he saw Sakura's face register shock from seeing something behind him. From out of nowhere a man's face emerged. His eyes were bulgy and red-shot. His facial hair added to his gruesome look. Hair wild and everything.

"Watch out!" Sakura shouted.

(to be continued…)

Maybe it's a little shorter than the rest but I just had to cut it there. Hehe. Please do review. Thanks.

Michiko


	14. Unexpected

Chapter 14 Unexpected

_Damn. _Shaoran thought as he let go of Sakura a little bit. He then started to help her up when he saw Sakura's face register shock from seeing something behind him. From out of nowhere a man's face emerged. His eyes were bulgy and red-shot. His facial hair added to his gruesome look. Hair wild and everything.

"Watch out!" Sakura shouted.

It was a good thing that Shaoran was in kendo. But still they engaged in a very deadly fight. "Sakura! Run! Get out of here!" Shaoran kept telling her.

"I'm not leaving you here!" Sakura said as she got the flash light and as she did she saw that the thing she tripped over in was a leg of a dead body. The body was still fresh and bleeding out. What made it a little more frightening is that the victim's eyes were wide open. Sakura wanted to scream but stopped herself as she gathered her courage and shown the light towards where Shaoran was fighting the man. Sakura stood there not really sure on what to do. Her mind scrambled to think of that to do. Shaoran continued telling her to get away but she refused to leave her best friend there knowing that this man had already killed.

The man was strong. It looked like he was high on something. Shaoran fought hard against him. Sakura then picked up some rocks and threw it at the man to try and distract him. It worked and as he charged at her, Shaoran overpowered him and rendered him unconscious.

Shaoran was panting really hard as Sakura went up to him and embraced him as he her. She was trying to keep herself in check. She didn't want to break down. Shaoran knew that she was scared out of her wits. "It's ok. It's ok. He won't hurt you. He won't hurt us anymore. It's ok." Shaoran said. He felt her nod. When they broke off from each other, Shaoran asked, "Why didn't you go? I told you to leave."

"Right. Like I'm really going to leave you here alone with that killer in the dark?"

Shaoran hugged her again in relief that nothing bad happened to her or to them and said, "Come on. Let's get out of here. I don't know about you but I really don't feel like finishing this activity. I had had enough for one day." Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as Shaoran took her hand and started to lead outside.

Outside, Naruhito and the others' eyes flew wide open when they saw Shaoran and Sakura leave the cave all bloodied. "What happened?" Naruhito quickly asked.

Shaoran and Sakura were catching their breaths a little bit as they looked at him. "Was that part of the mission?" Shaoran asked. Naruhito didn't seem to understand.

"There's a dead body in there which I happen to trip over and to top it all, there was a man who tried to kill us. He's there unconscious but we're not sure for how long." Sakura then answered.

Everyone did a double take. A dead body? A killer? In there? Naruhito then told one student to call the police which he did as he quickly ran towards the Inn. "Tell me what did he look like?" Naruhito quickly asked Shaoran and Sakura.

They looked at each other, simply taken aback with the question. "Well he had bulgy, blood-shot eyes. Slightly long, unruly hair. Overgrown facial features." Sakura said.

"Did he have a scar on his left temple?" Naruhito asked.

"Yes." Shaoran answered.

Naruhito shook his head and said, "That man has been in the news around here for a week now. He's a mental patient who escaped. It seems that he had already killed someone again. You two are fortunate that nothing bad happened to you."

Sakura closed her eyes. She didn't know if she was going to take that comment as a really good thing or something. It felt like a stab inside her chest. Shaoran could guess what was going through her mind.

Naruhito then motioned for the others to head back to the Inn as he called Yamaguchi-sensei to tell him what had happened. Naruhito didn't even allow Rika to stay. He only told Shaoran and Sakura to stay to report to the police before heading back. They would want a statement from them. As they waited and while Naruhito was on the phone talking with the Principal, Sakura sat on a large rock nearby. Shaoran watched her and walked towards her. He then sat next to her.

"You ok?" He asked.

Sakura let out a tired sigh and gave him a small smile. "Define ok after something like this. But yeah…I'll live. You? I hope you weren't hurt that bad. Geez if only I knew how to fight I could have helped you."

Shaoran smirked. "You did well. You were able to distract him so I was able to over power him. We did a pretty good job under those circumstances. But it's not something I want to happen again."

"Ditto. I won't forget this any time soon."

Shaoran nodded as Naruhito walked towards them. There was much sadness and concern in his eyes. Shaoran and Sakura didn't want to say anything. They were all silent until the police came.

An officer walked over to them and took their statement. As they were talking, Sakura turned away as they were taking the dead body away and the man into custody. She had enough of it inside her head that could last a lifetime so she didn't to see anymore.

Shaoran laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The officer empathized with them. He knew that it was a really scary ordeal. He just reassured them that he wouldn't be hurting them any more and that everything was going to be fine from there on. They didn't have to think about anything anymore. He then excused himself so Naruhito ushered them back to the Inn.

Naruhito walked them back. As they walked he said, "I'm really sorry. I never imagined that this would happen."

"It's alright, Seiji-san." Sakura said.

"Yeah. It's not like any of us wished it to happen. It just happened, Seiji-san." Shaoran said. Naruhito nodded.

When they entered the Inn, they were quickly met by Yamaguchi-sensei, Ryu, Shiho, Kenishiro, Rika and a few others. Shaoran and Sakura were still covered with blood. They were quickly asked if they were alright. Sakura gave them a small smile and nodded. Shaoran nodded himself. It was clear that they didn't want to talk about it just yet. The Principal nodded as he ushered them to freshen up. Shaoran and Sakura bowed with gratitude and went over to their rooms while he talked with Naruhito. The others stood there, not quite sure on what to do.

"Shiho, can you check up on Sakura? Tell us if we could come inside the room." Ryu said. Shiho nodded as she went to check up on Sakura. Rika, Ryu and Kenishiro stood there.

"I guess I should check up on Shaoran."

Rika said but before she left, Ryu said, "I think you should leave him alone for awhile. He will come to look for you when he's ready. Let him freshen up a bit and then go to him if you must." Rika seemed reluctant in accepting the advice.

"Rika, you should know that Shaoran isn't the type who would just open up just like that, even if you are his girl friend. He's a guy who's stoic and all. Ryu's right. Let him be for a while." Kenishiro said. Rika seemed defeated, just stood there before heading to her room at the opposite corridor.

After a while, Sakura sat in her bed hugging a pillow. She let her damp hair down as she wore her only pair of pants left and a shirt under a warm jacket. Shiho sat in the bed with her.

A knock was then heard from the door. It opened and Ryu and Kenishiro asked if they could enter. Sakura smiled and nodded. Soon after, another knock came. This time it was Shaoran. When he entered, he was a little surprised to see that the whole student council was there.

"I just wanted to check if you were ok." Shaoran said as he entered.

Sakura smiled at him and nodded. "How about you? Does anything start to hurt or something?" Shaoran grinned.

"Are you sure you're ok, Sakura-sempai?" Shiho asked.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "I never thought that a leadership training could be this eye-opening experience but it's ok I guess. I shouldn't complain because it's a normal thing in the line of work I want to enter. I should learn not to be squirmish about it. It's another part of humanity, that's all." Sakura answered.

"What you want to be a mortician or something?" Shiho asked.

Sakura laughed. "No. Of course not. I want to be an ambassador or simply a diplomat. You get sent to other countries, even those who are at war and you get to interact with those kinds of people or happenings." She answered.

"Will you tell your parents about what happened?" Shiho then asked. Sakura closed her eyes.

"Do you want me to tell him, Sakura?" Shaoran offered.

"Mother…I guess she knows…that's why nothing bad happened…she was watching over us from heaven…and my dad…definitely. I will tell my dad. My brother…well I'm not so sure about. Yes. I will tell my dad and not my brother, that's it." She answered.

"How come? Kinomoto-san will eventually find out." Kenishiro said. Sakura laughed a little bit.

"Well it's because I have this thing…I know it's stupid but I'm honestly trying to get over it." Sakura said then paused. "'nii-chan has this gift. He can see things that I can't. As a kid, he would always scare me that there was something beside me and tells me that it wants to get me. I got so brainwashed that I'm embarrassed to admit that up until now I'm scared of ghosts, goblins, scary stories, living dead. How am I suppose to tell him that now? Like, 'you know what 'nii-chan, all those years you've been telling me about the living dead, guess what I finally saw a dead person in the flesh so to speak.' Right. Like I'm actually giving him the license to torment me for the rest of my life. No thank you." She added which made everyone laugh.

After awhile, the guys left. Shiho and Sakura continued talking. They retired to bed. But after a while, Shaoran left the room again and was walking down the corridor when he happened to spot the zen garden of the Inn. It brought his mind farther from where it was already. He hadn't even noticed that Ryu joined him.

"I was just thinking…you and Sakura…you know her very well…do you think that she's really alright?" Ryu said.

"She's shaken up with the experience. That's understandable. Sakura is strong and if she says that she's ok, then she's ok. At first it may seem that she's only saying that because she's trying to convince herself about that too but she knows what she's doing." Shaoran answered as they walked down the corridor.

They then saw Sakura walking alone along the garden's edge that led to the beach. The strong sea winds was blowing her hair across her face. She then stopped and looked at the sea beyond. Her mind seemed to be far away as well. Ryu was about to go to her but Shaoran stopped him.

"Let me talk to her." Was all Shaoran said as he made his way towards her. She was already making her way to the beach and soon sat in the sand.

Ryu stood there and watched Shaoran sit next to her. He was soon joined by Kenishiro. "They have been best friends for the longest time. I'm sure he can talk to her as she can talk to him. Also, they've been through it together. I'm sure they can figure it out on their own. We just have to let them." Kenishiro said.

Ryu nodded. He kept on looking. "I know that. I know that Li Shaoran will always do everything in his power to help and protect Sakura as she is willing to give up anything for him as well. I just hope that he really knows what he's doing. I hope he can help her out through the emotional turmoil of this without bringing the pain that has been looming around them lately into it." Ryu then headed to his room. Kenishiro wasn't sure about what Ryu was talking about as he took a glance at Ryu and then at Sakura and Shaoran before heading inside as well.

Sitting there on the sand, neither spoke for a while. Sakura hugged her knees and laid her chin over her knees.

"Are you really alright, Sakura?" Shaoran asked.

"Yeah. I'm just tired that's all. The funny part about that is that I can't sleep." She answered.

"Sakura." Shaoran said gently. He then laid a gentle, reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't lie to me." He warmly said. Sakura closed her eyes as tears started to roll down. She wept silently.

Shaoran then pulled her close to him and wrapped a reassuring arm around her and let her cry on his shoulder. "It's ok, Sakura. I'm here. Don't hide the pain. You were really scared back in that cave. It's hard to just forget all that in a split second. Shhh…" He whispered.

"I don't even know why I'm crying. You know I've been scared about that sort of thing forever and it doesn't really bother me seeing a dead body up close but I was really scared that you were going to be hurt really bad and I couldn't do anything but watch. I was really scared…Shaoran…I was really scared…" Sakura said as tears continued to fall.

Shaoran tightened his embrace and said, "I know. It's ok now. Nothing is going to happen. I promise. You're fine now. We're both safe." He whispered. Shaoran tried his best to comfort her. He couldn't tell her that his fear was that something bad was going to happen to her at that cave. That was what kept him going. But somehow he chose not to tell her. She was shaken enough. He knew that it might push her away in a way because like she said, things were a little complicated now.

But the more Shaoran thought about it, the more it felt like it was a necessity to tell her exactly the truth. They had never kept anything from each other. He wasn't sure when it started but it didn't feel right and he wished that things would just return to the way they were. In order to do that, he knew that he had to come clean about his thoughts too.

"Do you know what kept me going? I was thinking of you. I didn't want you to get hurt. You were already scared and suddenly it happened. I wish I could take it back. I wish I should have just dragged you out there when I saw the body. But I didn't and I can't take that back. So when I was fighting the man, I was only thinking of how to get you out of there safe. I was scared too. So please don't cry anymore." Shaoran finally said, swallowing his pride.

Sakura broke away from him. She couldn't quite believe what he had just told her. But then again she knew that he would never lie to her about that. Shaoran wiped her tears and smiled at her. Sakura returned a small, tired smile. Shaoran then held her face with both hands and made her look at him. He smiled again and said, "Don't go around feeling guilty about something that is not your fault. You helped me remember? It's over. We're both fine. It's ok now." Sakura nodded. Shaoran gave her a nod before embracing her again. "You'll always be safe when you're with me. Remember that." He whispered.

From a distance, Shaoran didn't know that Rika was there watching them. She could feel this pang of pain. She didn't understand why she felt this jealously inside of her. They were best friends for crying out loud? But Shaoran was never that affectionate to her like he was showing Sakura at that moment. She shook her head as she headed to her room.

The next day, Naruhito conducted the leadership seminars and said before they were to leave and head back to Tomoeda, "Presidents you were expected to create treasure from trash because you are the ones who lead the others in order to achieve something of value. Vice presidents you were told to create a fan with gold leaves because like the presidents, your job is very important as it ensures the beauty of the project as you help with each detail. Secretaries you were taught to be electricians because you relay the information to the student body. Treasurers you were made to clean and take care of the shrine because as the ones responsible for the monetary affairs, you carry much integrity of the whole which you must always remember. The lamp you did as a group signifies your projects. Nothing can be achieved if you do not work together and do your jobs well. Last night's events were suppose to teach you that through darkness you will see light. We never intended to have it go the way it did but as leaders you must keep in mind that nothing that you do is insignificant. Everything is important. Remember this well."

As they were preparing to leave, Naruhito walked over to where the seniors and the juniors were who were preparing to climb the bus. He then pulled Sakura and Shaoran aside. He then said, "I want to apologize again for what had happened last night. I wish I could take it all back. I should have gone first to make sure that it was safe. I knew that there was a psycho loose at that time and I hadn't done any precautions. I'm really sorry."

Sakura and Shaoran looked at each other and then at Naruhito. "It's really alright, Seiji-san. Nobody asked for it to happen. At least now, that man is in custody and no one is going to get hurt anymore." Sakura said.

"We cannot change what happened and at least we didn't get hurt from the ordeal. It's alright, Seiji-san." Shaoran then said.

Naruhito gave a tired nod. Sakura and Shaoran felt really sorry for him. He had just lost his father and then he had that happen. It was too much for anyone. They felt that they were the ones who were supposed to apologize but Naruhito wouldn't hear of that.

Having thanked Naruhito and having made sure that everything was in order, Sakura boarded the bus followed by Shaoran. They headed to their seats. They were glad to be going home. It was certainly a leadership training that they would never forget. It brought things to them that they never really expected.

Sakura was a little torn inside. It wasn't from the previous night's event but rather she knew that as much as the experience brought her and Shaoran together, she can't allow herself to get really close to him once they get back. Things had to return to the way they were before it happened. She had to avoid him. She can't destroy his heart again. It stung deep inside Sakura. It was a heavy truth that she felt was weighing in on her hard. She couldn't complain though.

(to be continued…)

Ok I know this chapter is like a slap in the face sort of thing. It's weird how things turn out, isn't it? Well anyway, I don't know if you can call this a twist but hey it's a start. Anyway, thanks to those who kept reading up to this chapter and also to those who sent in their reviews. It is very much appreciated believe me. Please do send your reviews for this chapter as well. Thanks.

Michiko


	15. The Ring

Chapter 15 The Ring

After coming back, the next weekend, the student council met up at Ryu's apartment to discuss the upcoming foundation day celebration. Sakura had asked Eriol to come along so that they would be able to fully discuss everything, especially since he was about to give his big secret away. Sakura and Eriol would be running late as Eriol had some rehearsals for his latest gig and Sakura had figure cheer practice since sports day was approaching as well as the interschool sports competitions for summer.

Ryu, Kenishiro and Shiho were there trying to discuss what it was that they needed to get done. All over the table, papers and papers were sprawled. They still had some filing and documentation to do about the leadership trainings as well as the university fair. It was really hard trying to get organized when they still had a lot of things to get straight all at the same time.

"Can I just say that I'm totally, totally overwhelmed with the amount of papers here. I can't believe that we have to do this much when we did everything accordingly one at a time." Shiho commented as she leaned on the table on her elbows.

Ryu grinned and so did Kenishiro. They continued checking and re-checking the papers and stacking them according to the topic it was about. Pretty soon, they had at least three piles. "It seems that the student council just doesn't run out of things to do. Better get used to it Shiho. I'm sure you'll be doing this until you graduate." Kenishiro commented.

"What?" Shiho exclaimed.

Ryu laughed and said, "With how things are going, you will be re-elected but I'm betting that you will be the next vice president. Don't worry. It will work out." Shiho sighed.

Kenishiro couldn't help but laugh. "Once Ryu and I graduate, we are turning all the responsibilities to you and Sakura. I'm pretty sure that you guys will be elected to student council again unless you guys don't want to run for office again." Kenishiro said.

"I'm sure Sakura-sempai is going to be a great president next year but I'm really, really thinking of not running. If it means this much work…hmmm…I will have to think about it." Shiho commented.

"Well you still have a few months to think about it but I'm still going to nominate you for vice president." Ryu said.

"Ditto. That goes the same for Sakura. She was last year's secretary you know. She was pretty much the same as you but she didn't complain. Even if it was her brother, Touya, who was the president, she really didn't complain. Tsukishiro Yukito was the treasurer." Kenishiro explained.

"Really? So you mean Kinomoto-san was the president, Ryu-san the vice, Sakura-sempai the secretary and Tsukishiro-san the treasurer? Wow! Talk about a power house combination." Shiho commented.

Ryu and Kenishiro couldn't help but laugh. "I wouldn't call it a 'power house'. It was unusual actually and rather amusing in a way. Kinomoto-san is very receptive and very sharp so he anticipates things that would eventually happen. So he would designate stuff even before it was actually needed so the flow of things last year was very smooth but a lot harder work than it is now." Ryu commented.

"But we didn't really mind. It was understandable because we celebrated the 100th year anniversary of the school so it was really big. Though Kinomoto-san would always tease Sakura and would assign her a lot of things because she was the secretary. Sakura would smirk at him and take on the challenge. It wasn't like Kinomoto-san didn't do anything, but he made it seem that it was supposed to be Sakura's work. Eventually he would take some of the load, actually most of it, from Sakura. We all did. Everyone worked together and would take the initiative of taking over when they saw that the other was fully loaded already." Ryu continued on to say.

"To tell you the truth, when this school year started and the power had been passed to all of us, the three of us felt that it would be really hard to compare to the student council's performance of the previous year but we just figured that we will just do our best and take it from there." Kenishiro then said.

Shiho listened to them attentively. It was the first time that she had heard stories about the previous year's student council. It was something the peeked her interest a bit. It sort of took her mind of the things at hand.

But before long, a knock came at the door. Ryu got up and opened it. It was Sakura. They walked in and Sakura said, "Sorry it took me so long. How are you guys doing?"

As she and Ryu sat, Shiho replied, "Well we've finished putting them into piles. We have to organize each pile before we can finally move on to the foundation day celebration." Sakura nodded.

"How was practice?" Kenishiro then asked.

Sakura smiled as she took a pile. "Well it's good though we still have a lot of things to work out. It's a new, more dangerous routine. I guess coach just wanted to see how far we can go. But I say that it's pretty good." She answered.

"Dangerous huh?" Kenishiro said.

Sakura nodded. "You'll see during sports day." She said.

"Oh yeah. Eriol called me up. He said that he'll be here in about an hour and a half." Sakura said.

"Eriol. Hiiragizawa Eriol. Why is he going to be here again?" Shiho asked.

Sakura smiled and looked at Ryu. "Well, you'll find out when he gets here." Ryu said.

Sakura nodded. "It's just a huge favor was asked of him for the foundation day. He still hadn't formally replied yet so it's better if we wait for him to say something." Sakura then said.

"Ok. Ok." Shiho replied.

"Hey you guys hungry? Me, I'm really hungry. I'm going out to get us something to eat. What do you guys want?" Kenishiro said.

"Anything goes." Sakura said as she handed him some money. Ryu gave some money too.

"Come on Shiho. There's this restaurant at the corner. Let's buy something to eat. Among all of us, you're the pickiest so you have to come." Kenishiro said as he got up.

"Hey I resent that!" Shiho commented as she stood too.

"Here is some money for Eriol. I'm sure he'll be hungry." Sakura said.

"No it's ok. I've got it covered." Kenishiro said. Sakura nodded. Kenishiro and Shiho then headed out to buy something to eat.

With just the two of them left, it didn't feel as awkward as one could have expected. They continued to sort through a pile. "I think this goes first than that one." Sakura said as she handed a paper over to Ryu who was already sorting a couple into the file. He got it but then there was a knock at the door. They looked at each other.

Ryu got up and said, "Those two would never get us something to eat if they continue forgetting stuff like they use to when those two start teasing each other."

Sakura laughed. "Hey give them a break. Kenishiro might not look like it but he has a crazy personality just like Shiho. Shiho's just a little impressionable among all of us so he likes teasing her the most because he can get away with it." Sakura replied. Ryu just grinned.

Ryu opened the door and was surprised to not see Kenishiro and Shiho but a woman with an infant daughter. "'Ne-chan?" Ryu said.

She smiled and entered the apartment. Sakura got up and bowed to greet the woman. "Oh hello. I'm sorry I didn't know that Ryu had a date." She said.

"Oh no, no. I'm Sakura. I'm just a friend and also his vice president. I'm not his girl friend." Sakura said.

"Oh so you're Sakura. Hi. I'm Megumi, Ryu's older sister." She said. Sakura told her that it was nice to meet her. "Anyway, I have to leave Natsumi with you, Ryu. Shin needs some help right away. I have no one to leave her. I hope you don't mind? Right. Ok thanks." Megumi said as she quickly dashed out the door.

"Hey 'ne-chan! 'Ne-chan!" Ryu said but it was too late. He looked at his niece in his arms. Sakura smiled and went over.

"I'll carry the baby and you prepare her bed near us so that you won't have trouble watching over her." Sakura said.

Ryu handed the sleeping child to Sakura as he quickly prepared a comfortable bed on the tatami floor near the table they were using. "Your niece is so cute, Ryu. She looks a lot like your sister." Sakura commented.

Ryu smirked and said, "Yeah well I hope that's the only thing that she inherits from 'ne-chan."

Sakura laughed as she knelt beside the bed and slowly placed the baby down. "How old is she?" Sakura then asked.

"Natsumi's six months, going on seven in a couple of days." Ryu answered.

Sakura smiled. "It certainly looks like that she's here with you a lot." Sakura then commented.

Ryu grinned. "Yeah well 'ne-chan and Shin 'nii-chan are always into this fast pace thing because of work. Let's just say that 'ne-chan likes delegating tasks and that includes me in the picture." Ryu answered which made Sakura laugh.

They then started to work again. But it seemed that Natsumi started crying. Ryu quickly went over to her. He thought that maybe she wanted milk so he quickly got her bag and started to look for a milk bottle. It looked like her sister hadn't mixed milk yet so he had to do it. He was a little on his feet trying to accomplish everything really fast because the baby continued crying.

Sakura smiled and then made her way to the baby. She tied her hair and then gently carried her and played with her a little. Natsumi instantly stopped crying.

"Well I'll be…" Ryu commented as he knelt beside Sakura carrying the milk bottle in his hand.

Sakura then repositioned Natsumi and asked Ryu for the bottle. She then started to feed the infant. "She's still a little sleepy. I'm sure she'll fall asleep right away this way." Sakura said gently.

"You're a natural, Sakura." Ryu commented.

Sakura laughed a little. "I used to baby sit a neighbor's kid. They moved to a different city now so I don't do baby sitting jobs anymore. The baby was younger than Natsumi. I started baby sitting him when he was just four months old up until he was two before they moved. He's going to turn three in a couple of months." She said.

Then a knock came at from the door. Ryu opened the door quickly so that it won't disturb Natsumi who was falling asleep. "Ok we leave you two for awhile and you manage to have a baby when we come back. What have you two been doing while we were gone?" Shiho teased. Sakura shook her head.

"She's my niece, Morimoto. We're baby sitting while working until my sister comes back." Ryu said.

Shiho laughed as Kenishiro smirked. Eriol was already there too. "Hey Eriol. You're early." Sakura said. Eriol smiled at her.

They fixed the papers off the table so that they could eat while Sakura finally got the baby to sleep and laid her back down. "We got you curry. Is that ok?" Kenishiro said as he handed her a bento box.

"Yeah sure thanks. I haven't had curry in a while." Sakura said.

"Ok so who do I own money to for lunch?" Eriol said.

"No it's ok. The student council covers that." Kenishiro answered. Sakura and Ryu knew that Kenishiro had figured it out already.

Eriol said, "Are you sure?"

Kenishiro grinned and gave him a nod. "Hey! How come I have a feeling that I'm the only one who doesn't know what Hiiragizawa-san is here?" Shiho commented.

They looked at each other and hid their smiles. Eriol smiled and said, "If I tell you, promise you won't scream? You'll wake the baby up."

"I promise."

"Well, I am Hiiragizawa Eriol but I also go by the name Shinzo Mizuhara. I've been invited to have a concert in school for the foundation day celebration."

Shiho seemed dumbfounded. She was about to scream but Kenishiro and Ryu covered her mouth before she could scream.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh as Eriol too started laughing. They let Shiho go. "We just had to make sure that you didn't scream." Kenishiro said.

Shiho pouted. "Really? You're Shinzo Mizuhara…ok…now I'm speechless…" She said.

"That's a new one. Shiho Morimoto speechless…I should have had that down on tape." Kenishiro commented.

Shiho pouted again as they laughed and ate. They fixed up and started working again. They talked and planned about the foundation day celebration.

"So, this will be the proposed schedule for the entire celebration. You guys have concerns? Hiiragizawa-san?" Ryu said.

"No. I think it's ok. I'm fine with it." Eriol answered.

"I wonder if Yamaguchi-sensei will still find something to change in that?" Shiho commented.

"Well if he does, well we have no other choice." Sakura replied.

"I'm nervous actually with the foundation day. Each class is going to do something different right? I wonder if ours will be a booth or something?" Shiho said.

"Oh shoot I forgot. We are going to approve all those things too…I hope Tomoyo and the others don't think of something really hard and weird." Sakura commented.

"Why? Is there something we should be concerned about?" Eriol asked innocently. He was intrigued. It was going to be his first foundation day celebration at that school and he knew that it was going to be an experience that he wouldn't so easily forget.

"Yeah, Sakura-sempai. Why are you so all worked up with it? Is it really that bad?" Shiho asked. Ryu and Kenishiro exchanged glances and laughed.

"What?" Shiho and Eriol asked. Sakura's face sank a little bit.

"Last year Daidouji, Mihara and Yanagisawa convinced the entire class of I-A to do a fashion show. One of their models is sitting with us right now." Ryu said as Sakura blushed.

"Don't even remind me of that. Do you have any idea how I psyched myself up for that?" She said. They all laughed.

"Well anyway, it was a success so you don't have to be so edgy when it comes to it. Even your brother and Tsukishiro-san were really pleased with it and seemed amused." Kenishiro said.

Sakura turned to him and replied, "Ok Yukito-san I can understand because he's really supportive but my brother…even if he's all supportive…he just had to rub it in for a couple of weeks at home…he kept on telling me that he was waiting the whole time for me to trip or something…'nii-chan is such a pain…I think the only reason he watched is because 'tou-chan asked him to film it, which makes it all a little bit worse." The others laughed.

"I don't think it will be that bad this year. It would be interesting though to find out what we are going to do." Eriol said. Sakura smiled at him.

"Either way, I'm sure that it will work out. Your class always works something out." Ryu said.

Sakura gave out a sigh. She had a bad feeling about it but it was no use arguing it at the moment. She had to take their word for it in the meantime. They continued to work and converse about stuff.

On the way home, Ryu told Sakura, "Listen, you know that the basket ball team is going to go to Kyoto for a competition. I will fix all the files that you and Shiho will need. You two will be in charge while Kenishiro and I will be gone for the game."

"Oh ok."

"Meet me at Tomoeda station at 7. Our train leaves at 7:15."

Sakura gave him a nod and headed home. She still had a lot of homework to do before then.

When Sakura reached home, she was surprised to see Touya was already there before her. She freshened up and had an early supper with Touya. Sakura had told him that she would be going out before 7 to meet Ryu at the train station to get the student council's agenda while Ryu and Kenishiro were away.

But as they were doing their assignments, Sakura had fallen asleep, resting her head at the coffee table while she was sitting at the floor. Touya happened to glance at her and was surprised to see that she had fallen asleep. He grinned and shook his head. He knew that she was tired. She had been doing a lot of activities lately and hadn't even slowed down. He then turned back to his books when the doorbell rang. He got up to answer it. He wondered who it could be. It wouldn't have been their father because he would have had a key and would have entered the house.

Touya opened it and was surprised to see Shaoran there. "Hey. Is Sakura home?" He asked.

"Yeah. She's asleep though. She fell asleep while doing her homework. Come in." Touya said.

Shaoran entered and waited for Touya as he closed the door and led the way to the living room. Shaoran then saw that Sakura had indeed fallen asleep while she was doing math. He looked at her.

"Hey I wanted to thank you for watching out for Sakura in that cave. She told me what happened. It's a good thing you know kendo, man, or you two would have been really hurt." Touya suddenly said.

"It was nothing but the experience really scared her though she seems fine now and even at school. No one seems to asks us about the incident which I think is good." Shaoran replied. Touya nodded.

Suddenly Sakura's phone rang. It woke her up with a start. She started looking for her phone under her books. She got it. It was Eriol. She then glanced at her watch as she realized that she had fallen asleep. Her eyes flew wide open when her watch registered 6:55. She wasn't even sure what Eriol was saying anymore.

She said, "Eriol, I'm sorry. Can I call you back? I'm running late. I need to run."

"Sure. I'll call you back later. Bye." Eriol said and hang up.

Sakura quickly got up and realized that Shaoran was there. She bowed and quickly made her way to the door. She put on her rubber shoes as fast as she could. "Why didn't you wake me up, 'nii-chan? I told you I need to meet Ryu. I need to get the file for the student council while he and Kenishiro are away." Sakura said. Touya didn't even had time to answer as she quickly dashed out the door.

"Don't worry. I'll follow her and make sure that she doesn't get into any trouble." Shaoran said as he ran after Sakura.

Shaoran caught up with Sakura while she was trying to dial Ryu's number. "Hey Ryu. I'm sorry I fell asleep. I'll make it. I'll be there in about 10 minutes." Sakura said.

Ryu seemed to understand as he told her to be careful and not allow herself to get into danger trying to get there.

"You didn't have to come along, you know." Sakura finally told Shaoran.

"I know but who's going to keep you out of trouble?" He replied. Sakura shook her head.

At the platform, Sakura arrived and headed straight to Ryu and Kenishiro. Shaoran laid back. Sakura was trying hard to catch her breath. Ryu smiled at her. He then handed her the file. "We've gone through the things before so it would be easy for you and Shiho to follow this. If you still find any problem, call me right away." Ryu said. Sakura gave him a nod as she accepted the file.

Ryu suddenly kissed her. She was taken by surprise. But no one was more surprised than Shaoran. He felt this pang of pain inside his chest. Ryu then whispered, "If there is a ring, a ring where guys have to prove to you that he loves you, my hat is inside."

Sakura looked at him and said, "Just do your best, alright?"

Ryu then smirked, "Don't worry I don't intend to lose when it comes to you."

"Ha! You wish I meant that! I mean the game. You should do your best." Sakura said as he started to push Ryu towards the train. "Get on before it leaves without you two. Just do your best on the game you guys." Sakura said.

Kenishiro and Ryu grinned as they stood there and the door closed. Sakura was surprised that other members of the basketball team were looking at her. _Oh no.._ she thought. She knew they had seen. She bowed at them trying to hide her blushing face.

She then turned as saw Shaoran looking at her. At first, she froze in place but then started to walk towards him, towards the staircase they had used to get there.

(to be continued…)

Hmmm…no comment. Hehe. Things just needed to start moving. Sometimes you just don't know that value of someone until you lose the person. Anyway, thanks to those who reviewed until this chapter and those who read. Thanks so much. Please do continue to send in what you think. Thanks.

Michiko


	16. Planning

Chapter 16 Planning

The foundation day celebration was growing near and the different classes need to prepare what they would doing for the event. II-A wasn't different. Sawada Megumi, the class president, then took the lead. "Ok guys. What do you want to do this year? Last year's fashion show was a success. Let's now try something new." She said.

Naoko then raised her hand and was allowed to speak. "Hey classmates, what do you say to a play? Our class could conduct a play that would eventually be the talk of the whole school like the fashion show last year." She said.

There were murmurs from the different corners of the room. "What kind of play exactly?" One asked.

"Well it's going to be a light, musical/romance play. It's not going to be a typical romantic play where we all know how it's going to end. This one will be a little musical oriented since our class does is inclined to that. Why not use that to our advantage? Basically it's not really purely romantic." Naoko explained.

"But who's going to make the script? And with the short time left?" Another classmate raised.

Tomoyo then stood up and held up a manuscript. "We thought you'd say that so Naoko and Chiharu had already wrote a script so that wouldn't be a problem. If ever we do decide to go through with it, I'm volunteering as the costumes design head." Tomoyo said. Every one seemed to like the idea.

"So? What do you say? All in favor of the play, raise your hand." Megumi said. Every one in the classroom then raised their hands. "Ok it's settled then. We're going to do a play. Will the student council approve?" She said.

Sakura then replied, "Yes. If we are really sure we want to do a play, then it will be approved. There's no turning back though once it's settled."

"I don't think anyone is about to change their minds. Our class is really musically inclined and we could use that to our advantage." Chiharu then answered. Sakura nodded.

"Alright then. Tomoyo, Chiharu, Naoko, if you please, write the names of the characters on the board and give us the description of each so that we could start giving out roles as well as other heads on props, lights, music, everything." Megumi said as Tomoyo, Chiharu and Naoko went up front and did what they were asked to do.

As Tomoyo and Chiharu were writing the names of the characters as well as other positions that would be needed to be filled, Naoko started to explain the plot of the play as well as each of the characters.

"Ok, the play will start where there will be children's voices speaking some lines. It will be a girl and a boy. Then it will flashback to the present and the play will open in a ballroom where there is a masquerade party. The grown-up version of the two kids will be there and they won't know each other. They would eventually be attracted to one another during the party but they wouldn't find out the real identity of each other until later on in the play."

"The girl will have suffered amnesia and wouldn't know much of her past. Her only link to the past is a necklace with half of a pendant where it's written 'the promise', in which the other half will be possessed by the guy bearing an inscription 'to never forget'. Ironic isn't it? Well, it will help uncover some of the past through out the story."

"Anyway, they would get to know each other. Their friends would be pushing them together but the girl is reluctant because she believes she couldn't because of the promise that she made a long time ago. She's not sure if it was to a family member or a friend or a 'puppy love' thing but she knows that she couldn't because of her past. But as the story progresses, she will find out that she is in love with the guys she met in at the ball. The ending will be that they will finally learn each other's true identity and the girl will remember. Then the pendant will be made whole. In between, there will be dancing and musical numbers. We've incorporated light humor as well. So what do you think about the story so far?" Naoko said.

She saw that most of her classmates were nodding their heads, approving the story. They knew that that kind of story wouldn't be that hard to pull off. It would be easier than making a different genre of a play. Besides, if they really wanted to stand out, they knew that it would be the best way to go. They wanted their fellow schoolmates to relate. They wanted their class idea to be out there without really being out there. They wanted it to be a light thing that makes an impact to those who would watch.

"So obviously, we will need two people to take the lead. One female and one male." Tomoyo said.

"We were thinking that maybe Sakura could be the lead female." Chiharu then blurted out.

Sakura was completely taken by surprise. "Hey! Don't you think that the lead roles should go to two people who are actually close or maybe into a relationship like Megumi and Utaro so that it would be easier. At least they don't have a hard time proving that they are in love. I mean, that's the thing we are going for, right?" Sakura quickly said. "Besides…please…I don't want to disappoint the class if there will be some practice sessions that I might not be able to make it…I do have figure skating to worry about too…" She added.

Sakura did have a point. Megumi started blushing and some of the guys were patting Utaro on the back. "Well classmates, don't you guys think that that is more appropriate?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura does have a point, Chiharu." Tomoyo said. Chiharu seemed to think about it.

Naoko then approached Megumi and said, "Sorry about this Megumi but I think Sakura has a point. You and Utaro are perfect for the roles." Megumi blushed some more.

Megumi then looked at Utaro. He looked at her too. "I guess if I don't have a choice…" Megumi said shyly.

Utaro then looked to the side and was blushing a little. "Yeah…if we must…" Utaro answered. There was then some cheering that erupted in class.

Sakura sat back and sighed a relief. She was sorry that she had to do that but it was better than actually going through with the role. It was one thing to be a lead in a play. It was another thing to take the lead and actually portray that you were in love with the other lead role.

Sakura found that Eriol was smiling at her. "You could have pulled it off, you know." He commented.

Sakura smiled and replied, "Maybe but I would rather not. I haven't really allowed myself to fall in love yet so I wouldn't know how it really feels. It would be hard to play a part where you have not much idea about."

"Don't be ridiculous. Every one knows how to play that sort of thing because everyone knows how to love. But anyway, if you don't like it, would like to volunteer with me to head music? I just have a feeling that you would be more inclined to that considering you play the piano." Eriol said. Sakura smiled and nodded.

Eriol then told Tomoyo that he and Sakura would like to volunteer for being in charge with the music. Tomoyo seemed to like the idea. She smiled over at Sakura and said that she was perfect in that role. She knew that Sakura had a good ear. With her heading the costume department, she knew Sakura would be a good choice with Eriol to head the music part.

It seemed that everyone already had a role. They had the script photocopied for those who were actually going to play a role in the play itself and those who headed each department so that more or less they knew how things would be flowing. Over lunch they were reading it over. Sakura couldn't believe the lengths that her friends had gone through to write it. It was indeed a very light script that would easily be acceptable to their schoolmates.

Eriol and Sakura started talking about ideas for the songs they could incorporate in the play. They knew that they had to come up with something really quick because it would be the basis for the choreography and the musical parts of the play.

Tomoyo had given them her impression on what type of music and the costumes that she was thinking of making. Naoko and Chiharu had shared their ideas too which really helped. Though they didn't have much time to study it and plan it detail by detail, at least some ideas were already floating inside their heads.

Eriol had invited Sakura over so that they could work on the music for the play and the music for Sakura's figure skating presentation. She had asked him for help since she was lost on what type of music she really wanted to skate to. Eriol was all too happy to help. He told her that he wasn't much an expert on that but he was really glad to help.

That afternoon, it seemed that the news that Ryu had kissed Sakura had spread like wild fire around school. Sakura tried to act as normal as possible. She knew that what Ryu did and said to her was his way of telling her that he was officially courting her. It was a bold move indeed but then she had a feeling that there was something that pushed him to do it. She couldn't put a finger over it. She knew that there something else going inside of his head that she doesn't know about but she was sure that her gut feeling was on to something.

Over lunch, Tomoyo, Chiharu and Naoko opened it up while they were eating. Sakura almost choked on her food.

"How did you know?" she said.

"The question of the day would be how could we not know?" Tomoyo replied.

"Sakura when will you learn that guys are just as bad when it comes to gossip. I'm guessing that it came from members of the basketball team and spread out from there." Chiharu said.

"So? Are you two finally getting serious or something?" Naoko asked.

Sakura gave a weak smile. She didn't know how to answer that. How could she tell them that it just happened and that it took her by surprise herself? How could she tell them that it was really nothing when Ryu made it clear that if there was a fight for her, he would be there trying to prove that he was worthy of her. Her mind was spinning. Things were turning out in ways she least expected them to be. Now she knew that it was really becoming really complicated.

She was determined to stay away from Shaoran. That was the reason why she had brought food to school that day instead of going to the cafeteria to buy something. She didn't want to bump into him just yet. It was enough that there was an incident at the leadership training that instead of her pushing him away, he needed her as much as she needed him to survive.

"We're not going steady ok. Maybe it's testing the waters and I wouldn't really call that a kiss. It was more like a small 'greeting' or something as a friend on the cheek. We're friends, ok." Sakura answered.

The three girls looked at her. They gave her a 'yeah right' kind of look.

"Come on Sakura. We're all friends here. It's just us girls." Naoko said.

"Yeah you don't have to hide anything from us." Tomoyo urged.

"Really! There isn't anything…like I said, it's just testing the waters sort of thing. It isn't really that serious." Sakura defended.

"Alright, Sakura. If you say so." Tomoyo replied.

After school, Sakura waited for Megumi's final report on the class project for foundation day before she headed to the meeting at the student council office. When she entered, she was surprised to see Shaoran there with Ryu, Shiho and Kenishiro. Sakura tried to act as normal as possible.

Sakura then handed Ryu Megumi's report. Ryu read through it for awhile. He then looked at her. "A class play? Ok. If your class is sure then by all means." He said.

Sakura nodded and gave a small smile. Ryu then handed the paper to Shiho. "So are you going to play a role in it, Sakura-sempai?" Shiho asked.

Sakura smiled at her and said, "Nope. I'm just on the sidelines, thank goodness. I'm in charge with music with Eriol." Shiho smiled.

"How ironic that Hiiragizawa-san found his way to head the music department." Shiho commented. Sakura laughed.

"Speaking of Hiiragizawa Eriol, we have been discussing before you arrived that you and Shaoran will be in charge of Shinzo Mizuhara's concert here since you two know him personally and the rest of us have our hands tied." Ryu said.

Sakura hadn't expected that. Was Ryu up to something? She decided not to think that. It was going to be trouble and Sakura knew that. It would be harder to avoid him with that new assignment.

"You ok with it, right?" Ryu asked her.

Sakura nodded. "So what do we need to do? His schedule is pretty much booked and there isn't much really that needs to be done." Sakura said.

"Well just work closely with him. I think we need Hiiragizawa-san here with us for this." Ryu answered.

Sakura nodded and got up. "Ok. I'll get him." She then went out.

Sakura kept walking across the corridor when she heard Shaoran call to her and grab her arm. "Sakura, are you avoiding me?" Shaoran suddenly asked.

Sakura stopped walking and closed her eyes. Ok he said it…the question she had been dreading for a long time. She swallowed hard and said, "No. I'm not." Sakura then started to walk again.

But Shaoran didn't let go of her arm. "Sakura you do know that you are the worst liar that I've ever known." She then turned to him with a sad and tired expression.

Sakura then removed Shaoran's hand from her arm. "Look…I'm really not avoiding you…there are just a lot of things going on and I have my hands full of stuff…I'm just really tired Shaoran…don't be paranoid will ya?" She then turned and started to walk around the corner. Shaoran didn't follow her. He stood there.

Around the corner, Sakura stood there with her back against the wall. She listened and heard Shaoran's footsteps going the other direction. She closed her eyes and stood there. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself. Did Shaoran really believe her just now? She had pushed him away from her again and he seemed alright with it. It was painful but it was a necessary thing. It's not like she had another choice.

She remembered the time when they were heading back from the train station. It was an awkward silence. She really wished that he hadn't been there or he wouldn't have volunteered to walk her home. Sakura couldn't even make out what had happened and why she didn't want Shaoran to see it. It wasn't like it was a crime.

He seemed different though after it. Sakura could tell with the actions that he showed her on their way home. Shaoran seemed a little more distant after that. He was acting all weird.

In a way, it was annoying because Shaoran already had a girl friend and Sakura knew that he shouldn't be acting like that towards her or Ryu because they weren't doing anything wrong. They were both single and friends. Shaoran shouldn't be acting all jealous or something. They weren't together after all. Then a sudden pain struck inside Sakura when that thought crossed her mind.

Sakura shook the feeling out of her mind. She shouldn't be spacing out at that time. She needed to go and find Eriol because they had something to do before the foundation day festivities. She needed to focus more on her work at hand. She shouldn't allow herself to be easily distracted by her emotions. It really wasn't the right time or was it the right place. Sakura took a deep breath and started to head to the stairwell to go and look for Eriol.

She hadn't noticed though that at the other end of the corridor, Rika was there hiding with some friends. They had seen the encounter with Shaoran and what had happened next. They were silent. They watched. They started to talk among themselves except Rika. She kept looking at where they both disappeared to in different directions. She couldn't understand the blank feeling she was experiencing. In a way, it was hurtful.

(to be continued…)

Ok I really had to cut it here. The flow of this chapter maybe a little annoying but I'm telling you that things are beginning to turn. They are starting to unfold so don't be really um up-roared with this chapter. Hehe. Anyway, thanks for reading this far and extra thanks to those who submitted reviews. I really, really appreciate it. It makes me more determined to finish this fic. I already know the ending but I'm sure you are also wondering how things will turn out. Hehe. So I hope you keep on reading through the next chapters and reviewing. Thanks.

Michiko


	17. Music

Chapter 17 Music

After everything was set for the day, Eriol accompanied Sakura. They headed to grab something to eat before Sakura had to go to the skating rink for her practice that day. As they waited for their orders, Eriol said, "Don't you get tired of all the things you've been doing?"

Sakura laughed and replied, "I should be asking you that. Comparing my activities to yours, I think yours is more tiring because of all the rehearsals, endorsements and all those stuff on top of school work. Mine is more recreational, while yours…is a job."

Eriol smiled and said, "Well, on the contrary, I view it as more recreational thing than work. I love music and I love how it feels to get to share it with other people." Sakura smiled.

"Yeah that sounds more like you." She commented. "But you know, I just have to say this, I hope you don't mind Eriol." She added.

Eriol smiled at her. "I think that you're such an amazing person who's very talented and down-to-earth considering the success you've already earned. It's rare to meet people like that."

Eriol smiled as he took a sip of his drink. As he set the glass down, he then looked at her. He then proceeded on to say, "Coming from you, Sakura, I'm deeply honored to hear that. I never really thought of it that way but thank you."

Sakura giggled a little as she was fiddling with the straw of her drink. She never, in her wildest dreams, thought that she would be friends with a pop star like Eriol a.k.a Shinzo. It was a refreshing experience but at the same time a natural thing that it seemed that they had known each other for such a long time. She felt really comfortable around him, like she could hang loose and be herself.

"I'm just curious, I really hope you don't mind if I bring this up, it's just been bothering me for sometime. I guess this whole pop idol friend thing is just a new thing to me. It's not every day I get to meet a super star as yourself." Sakura said as she leaned forward on the table and adjusted herself in her seat.

"Sure no problem. It's not everyday that a very important student officer asks me things. I don't get to meet people like that often as well." Eriol replied as he smiled at her. Sakura couldn't help but laugh a little.

"How did you start? I mean, music has just become like a part of you. What inspires you to play? What inspires you to write?" Sakura asked.

Eriol smiled again and leaned back on his seat. He then looked at her. He then answered, "My mom really loves music. She told me that as a baby as would put me to sleep either by playing the piano or singing to me. As I grew up, she would sing me to sleep until I was about six or seven when she started to get sick. One day, she just couldn't sing anymore."

"Oh Eriol. I'm sorry. If it's too personal, let's not talk about it." Sakura suddenly said, knowing how it feels to have lost a mother.

But he smiled at her. He then said, "No, it's not problem. It's the truth and I don't mind sharing it with a friend."

"Well if you are sure…" Eriol smiled again.

"My mother was a concert pianist back in England. She met my father back when they were in college taking up Bachelor of Music together."

"So music really does run in your blood." Sakura commented.

It made Eriol smile and more reflective. It was the first time he was talking about things so personal with another person, a girl for that matter. It was a new thing for him. He hadn't even realized that Sakura had already commanded that much trust from him that it was a new, refreshing experience to him.

"Anyway, they fell in love and they started a life together in England. They had me while they continued on with their careers, mother being a concert pianist and father a composer and producer. It was such a perfect life for all of us. But when I was six going on to seven, mother developed this illness in her throat. Her vocal cords were slowly becoming paralyzed and soon she started to have great difficulty in speaking. We consulted a lot of doctors and a lot of tests were done. Then it was found out that a lymph near her vocal cords was becoming enlarged. A biopsy was taken and it was found out that she had cancer." Eriol explained.

Sakura was silent. She could tell that it was really a painful memory for Eriol. She wanted to stop him but he had already made his choice in telling her. She could feel for him.

"Mother tried to get chemo and all but no matter what was done, it was already that much advanced. So she was taken from us in just a few months time. I was just a small kid then. I didn't quite understand what it all meant. Father told me that mother wasn't going to come home anymore. She had to go somewhere that we couldn't go to for a long time. So after that, father decided to move back here in Japan so start over. There were just so much memories back at England, although we come back every year to visit mother's grave and mother's parents."

"I told father that I wanted to continue with piano lessons just like mother had been teaching me. At first father didn't want to allow it. But when he heard me starting to play on my own, he took it upon himself to teach me. He taught me how to play, listen, sing and even compose. He said that I had a gift, just like mother's. So since then he was really been supportive. He kept on telling me that music is not something you think about but rather you feel passionately about. I guess I took it from there. A few years ago, Father started to let me join into small gigs and well some of his co-workers like what they heard and told him that he should allow me to start my own career. He was reluctant but eventually gave way. Together, we started to work. He helped produce some of my music but would really rather let me have a free hand in it. So now he's my manager and producer aside from being my dad. Some people ask me if it's hard but I tell them that it's hard to work if you look at it that way but he's my father and even if we don't see eye to eye most of the time, he still respects me as a son and as an artist. At home, it's purely family business no work discussions. But when it comes to work, it's very professional." Eriol explained.

Sakura then smiled. "It must be a fine line you two walk in. I mean, music is a family affair and music is your work. But I must say that it's a great tandem you two have built. He sure is very supportive of you."

Eriol smiled and nodded. "At home, he never really fails to tell me how proud he is of me and how proud mother is. I know fathers aren't that vocal with emotional stuff but my dad is. Maybe it's because ever since my mom died he had to stand as the father and mother to me."

"I know what you mean. That goes the same with me. My mother died a long time ago too. Since then, my dad had been raising my brother and me alone. He was the one who taught us how to cook, clean, sew, household stuff and more. Well 'nii-chan and 'tou-chan always told me that mother wasn't really good at sewing or doing other household chores aside from cooking and cleaning. But yeah I know what you mean." Sakura answered.

Eriol was a little surprised. He hadn't known that Sakura had also lost her mother. It somehow brought them closer together. They knew what each other felt since they both lost a parent and were raised by their fathers. "Just like you, my mom got sick and just couldn't get any better. I don't know what she had because I still can't find it in my heart to ask 'tou-chan. Even if he smiles a lot, I know he misses 'ka-chan so much. I don't want him to you know relive the pain. I haven't asked 'nii-chan too. I just don't know how to ask it. I was four when mother died so I don't remember much about her."

"All I know is that mother taught 'nii-chan how to play the piano and that she was a model when she was my age. She was loved by her family. She was a little clumsy but had a pure heart. She was very beautiful and kind. Sometimes I could swear that I could feel her next to me. My brother would say that she is when I get sick and stuff. I guess you can say that even if I miss her, she would just smile down from heaven and make me feel better. I'm not sure if that was the one that finally convinced 'nii-chan to teach me how to play the piano." Sakura said.

Eriol listened to her quite amused. Yes. They were just the same. It was like being in a club where you knew that you belonged somewhere. Though it was a club that they didn't want to grow. It was a morbid thought to say things like that.

"I guess we now know why we play." Eriol commented.

"But you didn't quite answer my question yet." Sakura said.

Eriol looked at her inquiringly. "You know…how do you come up with the songs? I mean, your words are well in a way very impressive." Sakura said.

Eriol couldn't help but laugh. "I wouldn't put it that way, Sakura." He said as he continued to laugh a little bit.

Sakura started to laugh a little too. "Well I just write what I feel. It's not like I have a relationship to draw inspiration from but it's just…well…you just have to write and think about it after you've put it down on paper. When you think that you can at least be proud of what you've written, then you start putting a tune on it." Eriol said.

"Easier said than done. I don't think I can ever do something like that. I'll leave all that to you." Eriol started laughing as Sakura started to laugh along with him.

"So the whole Shinzo Mizuhara persona…how did you come up with that name?" Sakura then asked.

"Well actually it was my dad's idea. He said that it was going to make things easier because at home I would be simply Hiiragizawa Eriol, his son and at work, Shinzo Mizuhara, the music artist. Either way, I like the idea too. It felt like I can be these two very different persons, a music artist that the country will somewhat know and a normal teenager outside the studio."

Sakura smiled at him. "I can understand that." She replied. Eriol smiled at her in response. Their food then arrived.

After eating their meal, they quickly headed to the skating rink for Sakura's practice. She was actually embarrassed a little to have him there. She knew that she still needed a lot of practice and well it was really going to be a little nerve-racking knowing that he was there to watch her. But she knew that it wasn't really that big of a deal. She had asked for his help after all.

It was fair enough to show him what he was getting into. At least he would have a better idea on what she was talking about. After warming up a bit, Sakura's coach arrived and told her to get ready to practice her short program.

Sakura then tried to block everything out from her mind. She knew that she had to concentrate really hard because she could get really hurt if she miscalculated or was less confident in her jumps. She positioned herself at the center of the rink and prepared herself. She took a deep breath and allowed the music flow through her when it started.

As Eriol watched Sakura, he couldn't help being amazed. What Sakura had been telling him was truly an understatement. He smiled as he understood. He then knew what kind of music would really fit her personality. She was right. It wasn't just going to be one genre. Eriol thought that he would mix something up just for her. Yeah. That would bee perfect. He was going to surprise her with that. He actually was resigned to the fact that he was going to compose a song just for her. It wouldn't be that hard. It wouldn't even take long. As long as he would be keeping Sakura in his mind, then he knew what he was going to do.

Eriol continued to watch Sakura practice as ideas started to run through his mind…about the tempo…the arrangement of notes…everything. She had asked him what inspired him to write and compose. This was exactly it.

For awhile now, it had been Sakura whom had been his inspiration. He admired her a lot. She gave her very best in everything that she did that it made him want to strive even harder, to try and see how far he could still go. She amazed him with the risks she was willing to take to do what was right, what was needed and what she wanted to achieve. He had never met a girl like Sakura before. She was very inspiring in Eriol's eyes.

Composing this song for her free program in the figure skating competition would be a small token in exchange for everything she had shown him, given him and done for him. It was the least he could do for a very dear friend.

After Sakura's practice, Eriol met her by the rink side. He smiled at her as she looked up at him. He was walking towards her and she was trying her shoes. "You were great, Sakura." Eriol commented.

Sakura blushed with the comment. "Thanks but I still need a lot of practice. And well, I better get started with the music for my free program because that would be harder to practice since it's going to be a longer routine." She then got up and gathered her bag.

"Well that wouldn't be a problem anymore."

"Ok?"

Eriol smiled at her and said, "You will have your music by next Monday. I promise. I will work on it and I will give it to you as soon as I've finished it."

Sakura was surprised. "Wait…I hope I'm not asking too much…I thought we agreed that you will help me with choosing the music and-"

"Yeah, yeah but I promise it will be ok. And no it's not asking too much. Just leave everything to me. You trust me right?"

"Eriol, it's not a question of trust because you know I trust you or else I wouldn't have asked you to help in the first place. It's just…I really hope I'm not asking too much."

Eriol started laughing. He told her, "Chill, Sakura. It's ok. It will be ready by next week I promise. It will be perfect for you so don't worry about it or anything related to it. Just focus on your program, that's it. That's all you need to do."

"Well, ok…if you say so." Sakura replied reluctantly. She wasn't really sure what he was up to. She figured that probably he was going to arrange some medley or something. How could she have known that he planned on composing a song just for her? "Thanks a lot, Eriol." She said.

Eriol smiled at her and replied, "No problem. You're welcome."

As they started to walk out of there, Eriol then said, "Ok with that out of the picture, we can now worry about the music for the play. Why don't you come over to my house tomorrow? We can arrange everything there. Me and my dad have a big CD collection so we can draw inspiration on that."

Sakura smiled and replied, "Ok. You'll have to meet me somewhere though because I really don't know where you live."

Eriol laughed and replied, "You won't need to. I'll pick you up. How does 9 sound?"

"9 is perfect. As long as we're not going to be followed by cameras until we get to your house, it sounds fine to me." Sakura answered and teased.

It made Eriol laugh again. Sakura smiled at him. "Don't worry. You're safe." He said.

"You might be able to meet my dad tomorrow." Eriol suddenly commented.

"Really? Gosh…then I have to be a little bit more presentable then?" Sakura replied.

Eriol turned to her and said, "Just be yourself. My dad is just a normal guy. He would rather wear jeans than a coat and tie."

"Really? Ok then. Plain Sakura will be fine then. But I'm really nervous meeting your dad if ever. I mean he's an accomplished producer."

"Maybe so but he's really just a simple guy. Trust me. You don't have to be nervous." Eriol reassured her. Sakura smiled.

(to be continued…)

Another turn it seems hehe. Anyway, I won't comment on this chapter much. I will only thank you guys for reading and reviewing. I hope that you get to review this chapter too. Thanks.

Michiko


	18. BFF

Chapter 18 BFF

With the foundation day celebrations fast approaching, Sakura was glad that her class had opted to have a play. She had an excuse to get away from Shaoran without really thinking about it. Another good part about it was that she and Eriol were in charge of the music for the entire play so she could easily do that job that Ryu had assigned her and Shaoran with. She would leave messages in Shaoran's phone about the progress that she would have talking over with Eriol for his concert.

Aside from that, she didn't really need to bother him with anything. She didn't need to come within feet from Shaoran either.

But as the days were fast approaching, it required a more hands-on involvement from both Shaoran and Sakura. She hadn't got a choice but to work with him side by side. At first she questioned why Ryu had given her such a task with Shaoran, especially since he had made it clear that he was seriously courting her.

With Shaoran around, it was going to be hard since it seemed that Shaoran didn't approve of him courting his best friend. But as Sakura thought about it, there was no other explanation aside from the fact that aside from the student council, the only person to know Eriol's secret was Shaoran. Every single student council member already had their hands full so Ryu didn't have much of a choice than to involve Shaoran and have him work with Sakura.

Sakura had to do it since she was classmates with Eriol. She was the one closest to him. She had the easiest access. There really wasn't much of an option there. They had to work together, even if it killed her inside. Sakura told herself that it was the time that she really had to be professional about it. She knew better than to mix her emotions with her responsibilities as an officer.

Sakura had met up with Shaoran during their lunch break so that they could plan how to go about with the advertisement of the concert. They knew that Shinzo Mizuhara name sake was enough publicity in itself but they had to be formal about it. They had to put up advertisements in bulletin boards around school and stuff like that. They had to make sure that everything needed for the concert were booked. They basically had to make sure that everything was running smoothly.

Sakura had to not think of her concerns about the entire thing during that time. She can't let anything hinder their work.

Shaoran tried to hold his tongue. He wanted so much to start a conversation with her but he knew that she wouldn't be talking about anything about it. Shaoran knew Sakura well enough that when she really didn't want to talk about something, she had her reasons and she really wouldn't betray anything easily. He had no choice but to work with her and talk strictly related to work. They were also on time constraint. They couldn't afford to waste time.

As Shaoran and Sakura scrambled around school together, one of Rika's friends spotted them. She quickly pointed out to Rika that Shaoran and Sakura were together again. Rika didn't really want to think about it. She knew that it was nothing. She knew that Shaoran was assigned to take care of the Shinzo Mizuhara concert with Sakura. There wasn't anything else about it. Though somehow she felt this pang of jealousy in the middle of it all. She told herself that she was being stupid. She knew that Shaoran loved her or else they wouldn't have gotten back together. He was best friends with Sakura and they were both officers so naturally they would eventually find themselves working together.

But her friends kept reminding her that she shouldn't be so lenient with her boy friend. They kept saying that Sakura might take him away from her if she wasn't careful. Rika didn't want to listen to them at first. But the more they kept talking about it, the more they kept repeating it and telling it to her, Rika started to believe that maybe they were right.

Her friends were somewhat jealous of Sakura. She was the vice president of the student council. An ace student. A cheerleader. An all around person. Her beauty didn't help too. Every guy in school liked her, while some had a crush on her. She was this epitome of 'perfect' that they felt insecure about themselves in a way. Unlike her, they weren't that popular around school. Some of Rika's friends were considered average, a face easily lost in a crowd. They always had a reason to blame other people for their misfortunes. It was easier that way.

Rika wasn't like that. She was pretty much like Sakura when she entered her first year of high school. She was the new student of the class. She was hardworking in her own right. Responsible. Down right nice. She was intelligent, kept her grades up and had a pleasant face. She chose the wrong set of friends to hang around with.

She did like Sakura. She could remember that she had this crush on her brother during the first year before she was attracted to Shaoran. Sakura had always been kind to her. She always pushed her towards Shaoran. Thinking about it, Rika wasn't even sure how she started to think ill of Sakura. Somehow she felt guilty and remorseful. It was really a total 180 from what she thought of her before.

As Rika watched while Shaoran and Sakura continued on with their postings, she saw Sakura stand on top of a platform as leverage to post a poster up. Rika then noticed that there were first year guys who were chasing each other and weren't really looking at where they were going. They suddenly hit Sakura, rendering her out of balance. She started to fall back and it looked like she had already braced herself for the impact. She closed her eyes but the impact never came as Shaoran had caught her and was holding her in his arms.

Rika and her friends had seen it all. Rika turned away as her friends started to gossip and tried to interpret things that weren't really what it seemed.

When Sakura opened her eyes, she was really surprised to see that she hadn't hit the ground but rather was in Shaoran's arms. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Sakura nodded a little as Shaoran put her down. "Yeah. Thanks." She then cleared her throat, hoping that no one really saw what happened, especially Rika. She didn't want to be another talk of the town.

The first year guys just approached her and apologized. Sakura smiled at them and told them that it was alright and that they should be careful next time. As they left, Sakura and Shaoran awkwardly started on with their work again. How could they have known that things were turning and starting to become somehow out off control?

That afternoon, Sakura was with Shiho and Tomoyo. They were engaged in an animated conversation where they were laughing heartily and was simply enjoying themselves as they carried some files and were bringing it to the student council office. Tomoyo had offered to help them. They were walking down the corridor. They hadn't noticed that Rika and some of her friends were walking towards them.

Rika and the others then stood in front of them. Sakura, Shiho and Tomoyo greeted them. Sakura gave them a big smile but then Rika slapped Sakura right across her face. Sakura almost dropped what she was carrying and staggered back a little. She was stunned. She looked at Rika inquiringly with Tomoyo and Shiho looking on, just as stunned as she was.

They didn't know that from another corridor, the one that intersected the one they were in, Ryu and Kenishiro were also walking towards the student council office and saw what happened from the glass windows. They stopped walking as they too were really surprised with what Rika had done.

"Rika-san…" Sakura started, not knowing what to say or do. She wasn't even sure what it was about.

"How could you, Sakura? I trusted you." Rika suddenly said.

Sakura straightened up a bit, still couldn't follow what she was talking about. Her cheek still was sore.

"How could you do this? Were you just playing with me all this time?" She asked.

Sakura started to shake her head. "Rika-san…I don't know what you are talking about-"

"Bull Shit! I'm not stupid! Stay away from him Sakura. Stay away. You already have Ryu and all other guys in school and you want to take him too? You bitch! Just stay away." Rika said as she walked passed Sakura and the others and pushed her aside roughly. Rika's friends followed her.

"Rika-san!" Sakura tried to call out but she would not hear her.

Tomoyo and Shiho approached Sakura. Tomoyo laid a gentle hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura…" She said.

Sakura didn't look at her. She seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Um…listen…um…I'm going on ahead if you don't mind…I think I want to be alone for awhile…" Sakura said as she quickly turned and ran to the end of the hallway towards the flight of stairs.

Ryu and Kenishiro watched her as Tomoyo and Shiho started to run after her.

But upon reaching the edge near the flight of stairs, Sakura bumped into somebody who had climbed to that level. Sakura and the person dropped the things they were carrying. Sakura quickly got to her knees and started picking the things up. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I wasn't looking where I was going…" Sakura said.

"You seem to be in a hurry." Came the voice.

Sakura froze and closed her eyes. _Oh no…_ Sakura looked up and sure enough it was Shaoran. Sakura just bowed slightly and quickly gathered her things and stood.

"I'm sorry. I've got to go." Sakura said as she was about to run up the next flight of stairs.

But Shaoran quickly stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Sakura." He said.

Sakura stopped and didn't say anything. She was trying to keep her composure. "Please get out of my way, Shaoran." Sakura said.

Shaoran didn't go but approached her slightly. "Something is bothering you." Shaoran commented.

"No. There isn't. I just need to go." Sakura replied, refusing to look at him.

Shaoran looked at her and saw that her face was slightly red on one side. Shaoran touched her chin to make her face him.

Sakura fought him off. "You call that nothing. You were hit." Shaoran said with much concern.

"I just hit myself when I opened the door. You know, clumsy me." Sakura said.

"You know you cannot lie to me. I can always tell when you are lying." Shaoran said. Sakura said nothing as she motioned herself to continue to go up the flight of stairs. Shaoran held her arm, not letting her go anywhere.

"Please let go of my arm…" Sakura said.

"No. Avoid me, fine. Ignore me, fine. But I'm not going to let you go and keep lying to me that you are fine." Shaoran said firmly.

It somehow broke this barrier Sakura was trying to create around herself. She shrugged Shaoran's arm and looked at him.

"Wake up, Shaoran! Don't you get it? I don't need you!" Sakura said.

Shaoran seemed surprised with her words as well as Tomoyo, Shiho, Ryu and Kenishiro. "What do I have to do or say for you to get it through that head of yours?" Sakura then added.

"I'll never get it through my head because you are my best friend and I am yours. I told you that you can't lie to me. I can tell that you have a problem and still you're being so stubborn to take it on your own. Do you know how it makes me feel? Do you know how it makes me feel that you keep pushing me away and I can't do anything to help you? You don't even think of that do you?"

Sakura took a deep breath to control herself and took a step down towards Shaoran. "How dare you? How…dare…you? You have no right to tell me that…because…I have done nothing but think of how you feel! I have done nothing but consider how it makes you feel even if it's killing me inside. Do you think it's easy? Do you really think that it's so simple to turn your back on your best friend and walk away so that he'd have the space he needed? But I did it. I did it! I…did…it…because I was thinking of you. So you have no right to accuse me of that when you are the one who has never thought about how I feel!" Tears started to fall down Sakura's eyes.

"I've worked so hard until now because unlike you this is the only thing I have. This is it right here. Unlike you I still have something to prove." Sakura said but paused.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. She then looked at him and continued, "I want the people to respect me…the real me. I don't want to be known and respected because I'm the sister of Kinomoto Touya or because of Yukito-san…you…Ryu-san…Kenishiro…Eriol…I want to be known as me, Sakura…I want to prove that I am a worthwhile person who deserves the respect because right now I am the bitch…I'm the slut…I'm the whore…one guy after the other…you're my best friend…you are supposed to be my best friend…but it seems to me that everyone could see and understand that but you…if you are my best friend, you will understand…you will keep away…you will leave me alone…because staying close to you hurts and I'm tired of hurting…I'm tired of crying myself to sleep because I am forced to ignore one person whom I care about very much…I'm tired of being blamed of something I did not do…I'm tired of covering up for you…just leave me alone…" Sakura said before she ran off up the stairs.

Shaoran was stunned but was about to run after her when Tomoyo called out, "No Li-sempai!"

He turned and saw Tomoyo and Shiho running towards him. Ryu and Kenishiro joined them too. "Don't, Li-sempai…give her some space…it's been really hard on her…" Tomoyo said. Shaoran stood there and said nothing as he contemplated.

"I told you…I warned you not to hurt her." Ryu said.

Shaoran turned to him. He seemed a little angry at the comment. "What? You're going to hit me? When you told me not to hurt her, I told you I should be telling you that. But you hurt her anyway. I can't believe you can be so dense even with your best friend. If you want to know the truth, try asking your girl friend, though I doubt that she will tell you." Ryu said as he and Tomoyo ran up the stairs after Sakura.

"Ryu's right, you know. If you still haven't gotten past the truth, it's better if you just stay away from Sakura. She deserves that much from you. For the past months, we have been working with Sakura closely because of the student council matters and we could see how hard she tries and how she keeps all her pain to herself. She doesn't speak of it but we know because we've seen it in her eyes when you come near her. Ryu and I both knew that the responsibility for Shinzo's concert is the most difficult task she faces right now but it's not like we have a choice. If we did, one of us would be working with you right now and not Sakura." Kenishiro said.

Shaoran continued to say nothing.

"Li-san…your girl friend…she slapped Sakura just now and called her a bitch…" Shiho said. Shaoran looked at her with much shock. "I was there by her side when it happened. I look up to Sakura-sempai so much because of her strength, character, everything…when she was slapped and accused like that, Tomoyo-sempai and I saw this raw pain in her eyes that made us feel her pain. You are her best friend. You should be more sensitive to that than us so I know you understand. Sakura-sempai always has a smile on her face to greet just about anyone. I've never seen her that troubled and pained before. She deserves to be really happy. So please…Li-san…for now…just stay away…get the facts straight and maybe by then, you can make it better." Shiho said as she and Kenishiro left Shaoran and followed Ryu and Tomoyo.

Shaoran punched the wall in frustration and sat by the foot of the stairwell. It hurt a lot. His heart felt like exploding. He lost his best friend and his girl friend had something to do with it. He felt lost in his pain.

Ryu, Tomoyo, Shiho and Kenishiro stood by Sakura and let her cry. They didn't say anything because they all knew that she didn't want to talk about it. They were there trying to support her. It was getting dark and they knew they had to go home. They offered to walk Sakura home but she smiled at them a little and refused.

She said that she was going to be fine and she just really wanted to be alone. Besides, she said that she didn't want to alarm her brother knowing that they accompanied her home. She didn't want him to think that there was something wrong yet. Reluctantly, they agreed.

When Sakura got home, Touya, Yukito and a few of their classmates were there doing a project. Sakura smiled at them a little sadly and bowed. She told Touya that she was going to be in her room. Yukito and Touya exchanged glances. They immediately knew that something was wrong with her.

Touya got up and followed Sakura upstairs. Yukito gave him a nod and attended to their other group mates.

Touya knocked on the door before opening it. He didn't wait for Sakura to answer. He just let her know that he was there. "What's up, imouto-chan?" Touya asked as he entered the room.

Sakura sat from her bed and smiled at him. "Nothing much, 'nii-chan. I'm just worn out." She answered.

Touya took her chair and sat in front of her. "Ready to talk?" He asked.

Sakura took a deep breath and said, "I'm just so tired, that's all 'nii-chan. Besides, you're just going to call me stupid again. Why don't we just skip until the end, call me stupid and that's it?"

Touya looked at Sakura stood up and sat next to her on her bed and hugged her.

Sakura started to cry. Touya didn't say anything as he hugged her. He could guess what was really bothering her. He said nothing as he let her pour her heart out. He allowed himself to be her big brother. Touya knew that as much as he wished he could protect her from much pain, he could only do so much. He had faith in her that she would be able to overcome it. But for now, he was there beside her. Sakura then started to tell him the truth of what had been happening for the past months. Touya listened. His heart tightened as he started to understand the truth. He knew that something was up. He hadn't known how deep it ran.

Touya could feel his sister's pain. He hadn't known that she carried that much pain inside behind that smile of hers. He could never have guessed that it ran that deep. He could always tell when something was wrong or was bothering Sakura but she had grown up into this fine, strong woman that somehow it became harder to see the extent of her pain. The thing that bothered Touya the most was that there wasn't much he could do to prevent it. Besides, it was his decision to stay back and watch. He had told Yukito to do the same. Somehow he regretted the decision a little.

Touya held Sakura tighter and told her that it was going to turn out alright. She had to be strong. He told her, "Sakura, it's alright. It's going to be fine. Nothing bad lasts and I know you know that. Right now, you just have to be strong. I know that's pretty hard to do. If you think you can't find the strength, lean on me or Yukito or your other friends. We're here to help you out. I mean, I know I can be a pain but what are big brothers for? It will pass. Remember what I told you when you first entered the student council last year?"

Sakura broke off from him and wiped her tears. She nodded. Touya grinned. "When you think of giving up, think about why you have held on that far." Sakura said.

Touya nodded. He then made her face him, "Remember that, imouto-chan. Never forget that." He smiled at her as Sakura smiled back a little. Touya then kissed her forehead and hugged her again.

"Thanks, 'nii-chan. Even if you're such a blockhead most of the time, you still are the best big brother."

"You've got that right." Sakura started laughing.

(to be continued…)

Hmm…now there is no turning back. Thanks for reading and reviewing up to this chapter. I appreciated and am honored with all the support that you guys been giving. Please do continue sending in what you think and accompany me for the next chapters. There is still a long way to go. Thanks.

Michiko


	19. Play

Chapter 19 Play

Finally the day of the celebration of the school's foundation day was in full blast. There were no classes so the students went about to prepare all the things they needed for their respective presentations and booths. The student council was given a break from their duties to take part in their respective class agendas.

Sakura was sitting next to Eriol as they were making sure that the sound system was ready for their play that afternoon after lunch. They were all feeling excited and nervous at the same time. Sakura hold told Eriol what had happened between her and Shaoran before hand so Eriol knew that the play was somewhat a welcome distraction and a way to lay low from going around school. Those who knew about it never spoke of it again. They knew that it was better left unsaid and Sakura didn't need to have to deal with such a thing. They knew that eventually things will even out. It was better if no one mentioned it. Sakura sure didn't so they knew that they shouldn't too.

"I'm nervous." Eriol suddenly said.

Sakura looked at him, quite surprised and a little curious. "Nervous about what?" She couldn't help but ask.

"About you know." Eriol replied as he smiled at her.

Sakura leaned closer to him and said, "Seriously?"

"Yeah seriously."

Sakura leaned back on her chair and replied smiling, "Why Hiiragizawa Eriol…you nervous? After all the times that you went out and performed and all the times that you presented, I'm really surprised that you are nervous."

Eriol laughed as he replied, "Hey look whose talking? You who have always been a cheerleader and have attended a lot of cheering competitions are getting all worked up about your figure skating competition." They laughed together.

Suddenly Tomoyo came to join them. "We've got a problem." She said.

Sakura and Eriol looked at each other. "What's the matter?" Sakura asked.

"Utaro broke his leg and Megumi came down with soar throat. They both can't perform!" Tomoyo quickly said. Sakura and Eriol's eyes flew wide open. It wasn't just a problem. It was a crisis. Their lead characters were out.

"What?" Both Sakura and Eriol exclaimed.

"This is a major problem and we need to find a solution and fast." Tomoyo replied. She was really panicking already.

Chiharu and Naoko then joined them. "So what are we going to do? We can't just cancel." Sakura said.

"That's the reason why I came here." Tomoyo then said.

Sakura did a double take. She had a bad feeling about what Tomoyo had inside her sleeve. "You have to fill in for Megumi and Eriol, you must fill in for Utaro." She then proceeded on to say.

Sakura's jaw just dropped open. Eriol wasn't in much better shape than Sakura. "What? Why me?" They both asked.

"Tomoyo, why don't you take Megumi's place? Surely you can sing better than I can." Sakura said.

"Yeah I can sing but I can't dance. You know it takes me a long time to get a couple of routines perfect. Besides, you have a great voice and might I remind you that you are a natural at dancing so this will be easy."

"But I don't know the script. I know the flow of the story but not the lines."

"That wouldn't be a problem. We will write the lines in a piece of cardboard and you just have to glance sideways at the side of the stage while you act and you can read. It's nothing." Naoko said.

"Yeah you guys. It's not like we all have a choice. This is a last minute attempt to save the show. You guys can do it. Come on. Eriol, you look like Shinzo Mizuhara so you can just you know take it from there." Chiharu then said.

Sakura took her seat. She and Eriol exchanged glances. "I'll do it if you do it." Eriol said.

"And I'll do it if you do it." Sakura replied to Eriol.

"Deal." They both said and shook hands on it.

"Great. Chiharu call everyone at the stage." Tomoyo said as she and Naoko almost dragged Sakura and Eriol to the stage.

"Ok guys, guys listen up!" Chiharu then said as everyone gathered.

"You all know what happened to Utaro and Megumi. Don't worry. Eriol and Sakura have agreed to take their place. There will be a few changes. Guys they will be learning the script in record time as well as the dance steps. Later, we will be providing them with guides during the play. We will be holding up key cards for them. Those in the scene, if there are lapses, try to improvise." Everyone nodded.

Sakura elbowed Eriol. "Uh might I remind you they still don't know your secret? Now's the best time to bring it up." Sakura whispered.

Eriol nodded. "Easier said than done." He whispered back. Sakura smiled and tapped his shoulder. What else could she do? "Um guys…listen…this remains with us ok? Let this be a surprise to the entire school later." Eriol suddenly said as everyone's attention shifted to him. He took a deep breath as Sakura encouraged him.

"Um I didn't tell anyone aside from Sakura well because I wanted a normal life but it seems to me hiding is not really 'normal'. So um…listen…um…I also go by the name Shinzo Mizuhara…and I'm not kidding. So for now let this be the class secret." Everyone listened and was dumbfounded.

No one knew what to say at first. Some even laughed a little. "I knew there was something wrong with you. I guess it really makes it official. Our class really is inclined to music." One male classmate said. With this everyone laughed and were patting Eriol on the back. The girls didn't even giggle. It was as if he had been part of their class that it really wasn't a star-struck thing anymore. They were all surprised but somehow it was to be expected. 2-A did compose the best chemistry of students and who were achievers in their own right.

They only had half a day to rehearse so they quickly got started. Sakura and Eriol's advantages were that they were natural performers, they had been working on the music the entire time so they didn't need much coaching on how to sing or get it down, and they were really flexible. They were taught the different steps for the various dances of the play.

As for the script, they tried to memorize as much as they could. They then decided to have the last practice before lunch where everything except the cue cards was used and the class could breathe a little knowing that they still had a shot to make it work, though they all still felt that it was still going to be a one big gamble. They could only cross their fingers.

During lunch break, Sakura could feel a lot of butterflies in her stomach. Eriol noticed. He couldn't help but smile. "It's going to be fine, Sakura. We're both in it and the class is going to back us up…though I must admit I think I'm saying it to convince myself too. I feel like my insides are turning. I'm really, really nervous."

Sakura turned to him and laughed. Eriol started to laugh too. "I just can't wait for this to be over." She commented.

"Ditto." Eriol said.

Just then Tomoyo came in and brought them their costumes for the opening scene. Both took it and looked at each other before heading to change.

With the theater full with students, faculty and some visitors, class 2-A started their play entitled, _I'm Your Angel. _Voices of two children filled the auditorium, one male and the other female. "No matter where we go or how much time will pass, I won't forget that I'm your angel who will guide you back home. I promise I won't forget…"

As the statement was ending, the voices changed to that of Sakura and Eriol. Ryu, Kenishiro, Shiho and even Shaoran, Touya and Yukito noticed it. They started to wonder. They knew that Sakura and Eriol weren't playing any major roles. Soon the curtains were raised and it showed two women walking wearing evening gowns and masks.

Cast:

Weiz – Shinzo Mizuhara a.k.a Eriol Hiiragizawa (lead male character)

Anna – Sakura Kinomoto (lead female character)

Kojo – (male, best friend of Weiz)

Siella – (female, first friend of Anna)

Aoi – (male, cross-dresser friend of Anna)

Seiko – (the hopeless romantic friend of Anna)

Other supporting characters and dancers including Megumi (exchanged roles with Sakura)…

(music provided live by other 2-A students led by Utaro (exchanged roles with Eriol); stage manager and costumes design – Tomoyo Daidouji; cue cards holder – whoever doesn't have to enter the stage for a scene just yet)

"Siella, I'm really nervous. I haven't really gotten around to meet everyone yet and now I'm joining the juniors' ball." Anna said as they continued to walk towards the door that led to the ball room. They were late. Siella smiled at Anna and stopped walking.

She then turned to her and said, "It's alright. You are part of the junior class now so you don't have to worry about anything. If you're worried that you haven't met anyone just yet, don't. That's why you are here, to meet people. Will you just relax. You look beautiful so smile. Everyone is nice." Anna seemed reluctant but followed Siella.

Siella was wearing a silk green evening gown dress with a green-blue glittered face mask. Anna was wearing a gold tube evening gown dress and golden mask that only concealed the eyes, all of which were lent by Siella. Her hair was drawn back a little and curled only at the tips. When they entered, it seemed that all the people stopped what they were doing and looked up at them, especially at Anna.

Anna could feel all eyes on her and was really uncomfortable. Siella seemed to notice so she whispered, "There's no turning back now, Anna." She then started to descent the stairs. Anna was frozen in place for a second before she too followed Siella. As they walked, it seemed like the crowd parted to give them way. Anna walked slightly behind Siella. She tried very hard not to run away. They then met up with Weiz, Kojo, Aoi and Seiko.

"Sorry we're late you guys." Siella said.

"It's so much like you to make a grand entrance so we weren't really surprised." Kojo commented. Siella forced herself to laugh and covered her face with her fan. The others smiled.

"Hi Anna. It's great that you made it too." Aoi said as he walked closer to Anna and intertwined his arm on hers.

Anna smiled shyly. "It's nice to be here, Aoi-chan." Anna replied.

Seiko then approached and said, "Oh you are like Cinderella. No one knows you and when you entered all eyes were on you and now you're going to meet prince charming. Haaa…so romantic…" She said. Anna blushed really hard and bowed shyly.

Siella then said, "Weiz, Kojo, this is Anna. She's the new student of our batch. I asked her to come. Anna, these are Weiz and Kojo."

"It's very nice to meet you two." Anna replied.

Weiz got Anna's hand and kissed it. He then said, "On the contrary…it's an honor to meet you, my lady." Anna blushed a little and smiled shyly.

Kojo then shook her hand. "Weiz is really just a show off, if you know what I mean."

Siella commented as Seiko said, "Oh how romantic! That's how my grandparents met and fell in love!"

"You don't have to believe everything she says, Anna. Seiko is just really this hopeless romantic." Aoi whispered. Anna smiled.

The music then started. Kojo asked Siella to dance. As they headed off to dance, Weiz then asked Anna to dance. Weiz offered his hand and Anna accepted.

As Aoi and Seiko watched, Aoi said, "I wonder when someone is going to ask me to dance?"

"Maybe if you don't cross-dress you could ask someone to dance and you'd be dancing right now. Me…I should be asking that question."

Aoi and Seiko exasperated. "I guess it can't be helped."

Aoi said as he cleared his throat and in a more manly voice he asked, "Seiko, would you like to dance?"

"Not a chance. I'm not going to dance with a guy whose wearing a dress and who seems to be prettier than me." Seiko replied.

"I guess you're right…" Aoi said in a more feminine voice. They exasperated again.

As they danced, Weiz smiled at Anna and said, "I hope you don't mind me asking but where did you transfer from?"

Anna looked up at him shyly and replied, "I just moved here from Canada."

"Are you Canadian?"

"No. I'm Japanese. I was born somewhere here. I'm sorry I can't remember. You see, after an accident, I lost my memory. The doctors said that it will take time for me to remember if not at all."

"Oh I'm sorry."

Anna smiled at him and said, "It's alright. My grandfather told me that as long as I have the present and keep my mind on the future, my past will eventually come back to me."

Weiz smiled. He was about to ask another question when the music stopped and the DJ said that they were going to start the count down for twelve o'clock and they would be removing their masks all at the same time.

5…4…3…2…1. A big paper ball was broken apart and confetti started falling down on all of them as they removed their masks. The audience was surprised that the lead was really Sakura and the other who played Weiz seemed to be Shinzo Mizuhara himself. They knew that it could be Eriol but then he wasn't wearing any glasses. He looked more like Shinzo.

Murmurs could be heard from the crowd. Ryu, Kenishiro, and Shiho looked at each other. Touya and Yukito too were surprised. They knew that it was Megumi and Utaro who would be playing the lead.

(scene change)

Backstage everyone scrambled to change the props on stage and the backdrop and to get the stage cleaned from the confetti as the others quickly changed costumes. As they changed, the curtain opened again and revealed a school yard with tables. Some characters were already there and seemed to be conversing amongst themselves.

Soon Anna, Siella, Seiko entered. They had already changed costumes. They then made their way to a vacant table and sat.

"So Anna, are you and Weiz finally going out? It seems that from the moment you two met at the ball, he has been approaching you a lot." Seiko entered.

Anna blushed but then shook her head. "I can't fall in love…I just can't." She replied with a smile.

Siella and Seiko looked at each other. "Why not?" They asked.

Anna smiled and took out a necklace with a half-pendant. She showed it to them and then showed the inscription at the back. It was incomplete. It said, '_I promise t…' _She then said, "Because of a promise…I can't remember the promise…you know what happened to me…but somehow I feel that that promise is really special…so I can't fall in love."

"Non-sense. There are a lot of possibilities of what that promise could be. It couldn't be necessarily that you were bound to someone." Siella said.

"Ohhh! A long lost love! So romantic! So you're waiting for him to sweep you off your feet?" Seiko asked. Anna smiled. Weiz and Kojo were on another table.

(instrumentals; introduction of _Fallin' Artist: Lea Salonga [Marvin Hamlisch/ Carole Bayer Sager]; _Sakura starts singing)

_I'm afraid to fly_

(lights dim a little and the spot light is on Sakura. She starts to act all love stricken, gets up and walks about being a little dramatic while her friends watch her but the other characters on the scene don't seem to know what's happening and continue on with their business)

_And I don't know why_

_I'm jealous of the people who_

_Are not afraid to die_

_It's just that I recall_

_Back when I was small_

_Someone promised that they'd catch me_

_And then they let me fall_

_And now I'm fallin'_

_Fallin' fast again_

_Why do I always take a fall_

_When I fall in love_

_You'd think by now I'd learn_

_Play with fire you get burned_

_But fire can be oh so warm_

_And that's why I return_

_Turn and walk away_

_That's what I should do_

_My head says go and find the door_

_My heart says I've found you_

_And now I'm fallin'_

_Fallin' fast again_

_Why do I always take a fall_

_When I fall in love_

_Help me I'm fallin'_

_Falln' fast again_

_Why do I always take a fall_

_When I fall in love_

_(it always turns out the same_

_When I fall)_

_Lovin' someone, losin' myself_

_Only got me to blame_

_Help me I'm fallin'_

_Fallin'_

_Catch me if you can_

_Maybe this time I'll have it all_

(walks back and slowly takes her seat)

_Maybe I'll make it after all_

_Maybe this time I won't fall_

_When I fall in love_

"So you see I can't fall in love…I really can't." Anna said.

"But you already are." Aoi suddenly said next to her making her jump as the others were taken by surprise too.

"Don't be ridiculous." Anna said as she sat back down and settled.

They start talking and the focus then goes to Weiz and Kojo. They were talking as Kojo got up and said he was just going to drink some water at the fountain.

Weiz nodded. He glanced slightly at Anna. He could see her laughing and talking with her friends. He couldn't help but grin. From under his shirt, he took out a necklace with a half-pendant. Weiz looked at it but his gaze was far. He hadn't noticed that Kojo returned.

"Hey cool necklace. You planning on giving it to Anna?" Kojo asked as he sat next to Weiz as Weiz grinned.

"Not really. I will have to find the one who holds the other half before I can give it."

"Other half?" Weiz nodded and turned the pendant and at the back was written, _'o never forget.'_

"What does that mean?" Kojo asked.

Weiz grinned and took back the pendant. "It's incomplete, you idiot. I told you it's only a half a pendant. When the two halves are put together, it will read, _I promise to never forget. _Got it?"

"So Romeo and Juliet or rather Cinderella and her prince only yours is harder. Where in the world will you find the other half? Maybe she had even lost it already." Weiz smiled and returned the necklace under his shirt.

(instrumental; introduction to _Feel your breeze sung by: V6; Eriol starts to sing)_

_I say, feel your breeze, anytime anywhere in my heart_

_Feel your breeze never stop walking now oh~_

(Eriol gets up and takes center stage; starts the dance number as Kojo then followed as well as other male back up dancers while Sakura and the others remained seated and continued what they were doing; some audience members start shrieking with great anticipation like in concerts)

_Kesenai kizu o mata fuyashiteku_

_Nanka kaze ga shimiteyuku_

_Hitori idaeteru fuan nara_

_Ima dare ni mo aru hazu_

_{the number of wounds that won't vanish are increasing_

_It's like the wind is piercing me_

_Those little worries you keep to yourself_

_I'm sure everyone has some now…}_

_Kitto yoru wa nagaku_

_Fukaku shizundeta hou ga_

_Asahi noboru toki wa_

_Sou, kirameku hazu sa_

_{of course the night is long_

_And you sink down deeply_

_When the sun rises up in the morning_

_Yes, it's be gleaming}_

_Itsuka souzou shiteta mirai to ima ga_

_Sukoshi chigatteita tte_

_Yume no tame no namida wa mada kiezu ni hikari tsuzukeru_

_Zutto kokoro wa kimi o miteru_

_Mune ni kizanda kimochi de_

_Towa ni yume o kanjiyou ano natsugumo afureru you ni_

_{some day the future you dreamed of and now_

_Will be a little bit different_

_The tears shed for dreams will keep shining without fading_

_Your heart will always watch you_

_With the feelings that tear your heart apart_

_Feel all of your dreams eternally overflowing like those summer clouds}_

_I say, feel your breeze, anytime anywhere in my heart_

_Feel your breeze never stop walking now oh~_

_Dekinai koto wa nanni mo hai to_

_Sou omotteiru kedo_

_Umaku konasenai nichijou ni_

_Sugu bokura wa tomadou_

_{there's nothing that we can't do_

_That's what we thing but_

_It's hard to swallow in everyday life_

_And it quickly confuses us}_

_Kitto yume wa tooku_

_Sora ni kasundeku you de_

_Dakeo kaze wa omoi_

_Sotto noseteyuku kara_

_{of course the dream is far off_

_And the sky grows hazy_

_But the wind softly_

_Carried our feelings}_

_Itsuka souzou shiteta mirai ni bokura_

_Chanto chikazukeru you ni_

_Kaze ni itsumo fukarete ima koko kara aruiteikou_

_Mune de musunda kimochi de_

_Towa ni kimi o kanjiyou kono kisetsu ga afureru you ni_

_{someday in the future you dreamed of we will_

_Become closer like we should_

_Always blown around by the wind let's walk from here on_

_Your heart will always watch you_

_With the feelings that tear your heart apart_

_Feel all of your dreams eternally overflowing like the seasons}_

_Itsuka souzou shiteta mirai to ima ga_

_Sukoshi chigatteita tte_

_Yume no tame no namida wa mada kiezu ni hikari tsuzukeru_

_Zutto kokoro wa kimi no miteru_

_Mune ni kizanda kimochi de_

_Towa ni yume o kanjiyou ano natsugumo afureru you ni_

_{someday the future you dreamed of and now_

_Will be a little different_

_The tears shed for dreams will keep shining without fading_

_Your heart will always watch you_

_With the feelings that tear your heart apart_

_Feel all of your dreams eternally overflowing like those summer clouds}_

_I say, feel your breeze, anytime anywhere in my heart_

_Feel your breeze never stop walking now oh~_

They all go back to where they originally sat and started to do what they were originally doing before the dance number.

"I will find her, Kojo. I'm telling you, I will." Weiz said.

Kojo smirked and shook his head. "What makes you so sure you will find her? You don't even know what she looks like or her real name. I'm telling you she might not even have that necklace, pendant whatever."

Weiz smirked and replied, "I will know. I can feel it. Her nickname is Angel. Her mother was fond of calling her that so that is what I called her too. I will meet her again. I'm sure of it."

"Whatever you say, Weiz. I'm telling you. Forget this Angel character and focus on Anna. Damn if I weren't taken I would be the one to court her."

"Make sure that Siella doesn't overhear you or you're dead." Weiz said as he got up and exited the stage.

Attention shifted back to Anna and the others. Aoi then exasperated. "I give up. I don't think that I will be able to find my own fairy tale." Aoi said.

Anna, Siella and Seiko started to laugh. "Hey! Being a hopeless romantic is my job!" Seiko said. Aoi mood didn't seem to lighten up.

(intro to _Daitan ni ikimashou by Tamaki Nami; _sang by Sakura and female classmates playing Siella and Seiko)

_(who can make it?)_

(Sakura and her two female classmates go to the center to the stage to start the dance number)

**Yume wo oikakete itai desu**

**Dakedo hontou wa tsurain desu**

**Sore nara ashi wo tomete**

**Yasunjaeba iin ja nai?**

**(part sang by Siella)**

_{you want to keep chasing your dreams_

_But the truth is it's hard_

_So why don't you stop_

_And take a break, then?}_

Te ni ireru mono wa hitotsu

Sonna ashita ga chikazuku

Konkyo nante nai kedo

Kesshite akiramenaide

(part sang by Seiko)

_{there's one thing you'll get_

_That future is getting closer_

_You may not have a place to start from_

_But don't ever give up}_

(other classmates join them in the dance number, male and female)

_(I say!)_

_**Daitan ni ikimashou!**_

_**Mayowanaide boys & girls**_

_**{go boldly!**_

_**Without hesitation, boys & girls}**_

_**(you say!)**_

_**Ganbatte ikimashou!**_

_**Negai wa todoku yo hearts & soul**_

_**(part sang by all)**_

_{give it your all_

_Your prayers will be heard, hearts & soul}_

_Kiai soutou ireta tte_

_Kanawanai toki mo ate_

_Tatoe mawarimichi demo_

_Hitotsu no yume mezashite_

_(part sang by Anna)_

_{there are times when it doesn't work out_

_Even when you've given it all you've got_

_Pursue your one dream_

_Even if it's a detour}_

_**(I say!)**_

_**Shinjite ikimashou!**_

_**Nakusanaide boys & girls**_

_**{have faith!**_

_**Don't let go of it, boys & girls}**_

_**(you say!)**_

_**Mae muite ikimashou!**_

_**Nanika ga kawaru yo heart & soul**_

_**{go forward!**_

_**Something will change, heart & soul}**_

_**Ima kinou to chigau jibun ga iru**_

_**Yume ni chikazuiteru**_

_**{I'm different than I was yesterday**_

_**I'm getting closer to my dream}**_

_**(I say!) oh ohoho ohoh**_

_**(we say!) oh ohoho ohoh**_

**Taiyou ga egaita aozora tte tooi ne**

**Nagasu namida wa kitto yoru no sora ni kirameku**

**{the blue sky painted by the sun is far away, huh?**

**The tears you shed will surely sparkle in the night sky}**

Tanoshinde ikimashou!

Hikari ga sasu hou e

{have fun!

As you head where the light is coming from}

_**Daitan ni ikimashou!**_

_**Mayowanaide boys & girls**_

_**{go boldly!**_

_**Without hesitation, boys & girls}**_

_**(you say!)**_

_**Ganbatte ikimashou!**_

_**Kitto todoku hearts & soul**_

_**{give it your all!**_

_**You'll surely reach it, hearts & soul}**_

_**(I say!)**_

_**Shinjite ikimashou!**_

_**Nakusanaide boys & girls**_

_**{have faith!**_

_**Don't let go of it, boys & girls}**_

_**(you say!)**_

_**Mae muite ikimashou!**_

_**Kitto ga kawaru heart & soul**_

_**{go forward!**_

_**It'll surely change, heart & soul}**_

_**Boys & girls heart & soul**_

_**Daitan ni ikimashou**_

_**{go boldly}**_

_**Boys & soul heart & soul**_

_**Kagiri nai yume e hashire**_

_**{run to a limitless dream}**_

_**I can! You can! We can!**_

_**I can! You can! We can!**_

_**Heart & soul**_

The bell then sounded. They all turned and quickly ran off the stage. (scene change)

Anna, Aoi and Seiko started walking in at a party. People were dancing and having fun. They met up with Siella and Kojo.

"We were starting to get worried that you guys might not be able to make it." Siella said.

"Yeah. Weiz is coming up. Seeing you Anna will take away his nervousness." Kojo said as Anna blushed.

(Eriol came out with a few backup dancers; music and song by Bi Rain, song title, _It's Raining)_

_Dashi ollason mude jomyino nar bichumyon nan jogumshig_

_Saramdurui hamsogni naui irumur bullo jumyon nan jogumshig_

_Gangryorhan umagi naui momsoge phojimyon ne gwigaen_

_(RAIN GO RAIN IT"S RAINING IT"S RAINING)_

_Thojir god gathun suphigo soriga nar keumyon ne gwigaen_

_(RAIN GO RAIN IT'S RAINING IT'S RAINING)_

_{when the lighting lights on me when I'm on the stage I've returned to, little by_

_Little I'm…_

_When people's cries are calling my name, little by little I'm…_

_When the intense music explodes in my body, in my ear there's_

_(rain go rain it's raining it's raining)_

_When the ready to burst speaker's noise wakes me, in my ear there's_

_(rain go rain it's raining it's raining)}_

_NOW oh LET THE MUSIC CONTROL MY BODY_

_Umag soge naui iphargwa dari damath gin che_

_LET IT GO ne momi umjiginun dero gudero_

_GO LET MY BODY TALK TO THE MUSIC_

_Saramduri gidarinun ge mwonji_

_Wonhanun gor arjanha ijen modu boyojwo_

_{now oh let the music control my body_

_As if I've left my arms and lefts in_

_The music let it go to the way that my body moves, just like that_

_Go let my body talk to the music_

_You know what the people are waiting for, you know what they want_

_Now show them all}_

_Shimjangi thojir god gathi twimyon nan jogumshig_

_Ne mome phijuri tugowojinun gor nukyo_

_Magi orumyonso naui du nunur gamumyon ne gwigaen_

_(RAIN GO RAIN IT'S RAINING IT'S RAINING)_

_Charmursu obnun jon yuri on mome phojimyon ne gwigaen_

_(RAIG GO RAIN IT'S RAINING IT'S RAINING)_

_{when my heart beats as if it's gonna burst, little by little I'm…_

_I can feel the blood in my body getting hotter_

_When I close my eyes as the music rises, in my ear there's_

_(rain go rain it's raining it's raining)_

_When an unbearable thrill explodes in my body, in my ear there's_

_(rain go rain it's raining it's raining)}_

_NOW oh LET THE MUSIC CONTROL MY BODY_

_Umag soge naui iphargwa dari damath gin che_

_LET IT GO ne momi umjiginun dero gudero_

_GO LET MY BODY TALK TO THE MUSIC_

_Sarumduri gidarinun ge mwonji_

_Wonhanun gor arjanha ijen modu boyojwo_

_NOW oh LET THE MUSIC CONTROL MY BODY_

_Umag soge naui iphargwa dari damath gin che_

_LET IT GO ne momi umjiginun dero gudero_

_GO LET MY BODY TALK TO THE MUSIC_

_Saramduri gidarunun ge mwonji_

_Wonhanun gor arjanha ijen modu boyojwo_

_{now oh let the music control my body_

_As if I've left my arms and lefts in_

_The music let it go to the way that my body moves, just like that_

_Go let my body talk to the music_

_You know what the people are waiting for, you know what they want_

_Now show them all}_

As the people continued to party, Anna got separated from the others. She seemed a little agitated by it. It wasn't like she was used to that sort of thing. It was scary for her. But then Anna felt some one hold her arm. She fearfully turned but relaxed and gave a sigh of relief when she saw Weiz smiling at her.

"Weiz." She said.

He smiled at her and said, "When you are lost, you will always be found. Even amidst a big crowd, I will find you so you don't have to be scared."

Anna smiled at him. "The others are here somewhere."

"Yeah I know. I bumped into Aoi a few minutes ago."

Anna smiled and said, "You were great out there, Weiz."

"Thanks. Coming from you, it really means a lot."

"Come on. Let's get you out of this crowd. I can tell that you are just dying to get away." Weiz said taking Anna's hand.

"It's that obvious huh?" Weiz grinned and led her to a more spacious area (the front of the stage). "I'm sorry. It's not like I don't like going to parties but when I go to places like this, it sort of brings up bad memories." Anna suddenly said.

Weiz looked at her. "You see, about a year ago…my family and I attended a company function. It was my father's company party, much like this one. It was getting late so my mom asked dad to go home. He agreed. When we were on our way home, a drunk driver from that same party crashed into us, killing my parents instantly. I was a lucky to have survived only that I lost my memory."

"And just my luck…the only thing I can remember from my past is that accident. Everything else is just a big blur." Anna said. Weiz took off his coat and placed it around her shoulders.

Scene starts to change and it seemed to have fast forwarded to later that evening when they all have gone home and Anna and Weiz are looking out of their windows, up at the night sky. They hold their respective necklace, their respective pieces of the pendant.

(intro to _Sekai no katasumi de [in the corner of the world] by BoA; Eriol and Sakura sings)_

_Tatoeba kimi ga nakisou na sora nara_

_Watashi wa habataku tori ni narou_

_Tatoeba kimi ga kodoko na umi nara_

_Watashi wa kirameku hoshi ni narou_

_Kimi o kanashimaseru mono o_

_Zenbu nuguisaritai keredo_

_Watashi ni wa nani ga dekiru_

_Kikasete_

_(Sakura sings)_

_{for example, if you cry like the sky_

_I could become the bird that flaps its wings_

_For example, if you're lonely like the sea_

_I could become the star that twinkles_

_That which makes you grieve_

_Can be wiped away entirely, but_

_What can you do about me?_

_Tell me}_

_**Samayou sekai no katasumi**_

_**Afureru omoi fukitsukeru aseta kaze**_

_**Sashikomu hikari dakishimete**_

_**Semete tada soba ni itai**_

_**Kimi to futari issho ni**_

_**(both sings)**_

_{we wander about in the corner of the world_

_The memories overflow, blown by a faded wind_

_Hold tight the light you've been thrust in_

_I want to at least be simply by your side_

_I'll be together with you}_

(backstage commentaries:

"They really are amazing." A classmate said. They were watching from the backstage too.

Tomoyo smiled and replied, "Yes. They are. They saved us. Who would have guessed that we are taking it by ear?"

Chiharu smiled and said, "They should have just accepted right out. They do look good together and might I say they absolutely work well together. Hearing their voices…singing…hmmm…it's just perfect."

"Yeah…" They all agreed as they watched the two perform. They were in this dream-like state that it seemed that they weren't part of the play but watching something very light and fluffy on TV or at the movies.)

Tatoeba sora o miagenai n nara

Uka n da tsuki sae kiete yukushi

Tatoeba yume o minai n nara kitto

Chansu wa megutte konai kara

Negai wa namida ni fureru tabi

Tsuyoku tsuyoku kagayaite yuku

Chippoke na mainichi de mo

Shinjite

(Eriol sings)

_{for example, if you can't look up at the sky_

_I'll make the moon rise even if it's vanished_

_For example, if you can't see your dreams, surely_

_I'll make it so the chance won't pass_

_Every request moves me to tears_

_I'll be strong; strong and radiant_

_Because in every tiny day_

_I believe}_

_**Zawameku sekai no katasumi**_

_**Daiji na kotoba ga tokidoki surinukeru**_

_**Donna ni yami ga tozashite mo**_

_**Doko made mo kakenuketai**_

_**Mada shiranai ashita e**_

_{in the noisy corner of the world_

_The valuable words sometimes slip through_

_No matter how much darkness closes around us_

_I'll run through it persistently_

_Tomorrow is still unknown}_

Te o hanasanaide

_{don't let go of my hand}_

_**Samayou sekai no katasumi**_

_**Afureru omoi fukisukeru aseta kaze**_

_**Sashikomu hikari dakishimete**_

_**Semete tada soba ni itai**_

_**Kimi to futari**_

_{we wander about in the corner of the world_

_The memories overflow, blown by a faded wind_

_Hold tight the light you've been thrust in_

_I want to at least be simply by your side_

_I'll be together}_

_**Awameku sekai no katasumi**_

_**Daiji na kotoba ga tokidoki surinukeru**_

_**Donna ni yami ga tozashite mo**_

_**Doko made mo kakenuketai**_

_**Mada shiranai ashita e**_

_{in the noisy corner of the world_

_The valuable words sometimes slip through_

_No matter how much darkness closes around us_

_I'll run through it persistently_

_Tomorrow is still unknown}_

(to be continued…)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the songs written in this chapter and the next.**

Fallin' Artist: Lea Salonga [Marvin Hamlisch/ Carole Bayer Sager]

Feel your breeze sung by: V6 – you can check out the video at YouTube to have an idea on the dance moves

_Daitan ni ikimashou by Tamaki Nami – likewise, you can check it out at YouTube to known the choreography_

music and song by Bi Rain, song title, _It's Raining – this one too, check it out in YouTube if you like_

_Sekai no katasumi de [in the corner of the world] by BoA_

**So sorry if there are a few wrong translations in the songs. Hehe. I really did my best. I can understand and write in other languages but transcribing from one language to the other is something I still need to perfect because you really do have to be careful because something might just get lost in translation. ^_^ Well anyway, somehow I hope that you guys enjoyed and please do review. Thanks.**

**Michiko**


	20. Im Your Angel

Chapter 20 I'm Your Angel

(dance number c/o Sakura and purely male backup dancers; _Atlantis Princess by BoA)_

_juh mun bada kkeut chen mwuh ga eet sseul kka  
da leun moo uhn ga sae sang gwah neun mun yae gi  
joo leum we loh olla ga myun bo eel kka  
chun sa wa na pal boo neun ah ee deul_

_{I wonder what is at the end of the far away sea  
Its probably far away from being something from this world  
Will I be able to see it if I go on top of the clouds?  
The children playing the trumpet with the angels}_

_soop sok uh di en ga gwee leul dae bo myun  
oh jik nae gae man gak gae deul lyuh oh neun mok soh li  
kkoom eul kkoo neun deut shee nal ah ga bol kka  
juh gi no peun got ah moo doh ubt neun sae gae_

_{If you listen closely somewhere in a forest  
There is a small voice that only I can hear  
Shall I fly away like a dream?  
The place high away, a world without anyone}_

_*geu luh kae doh muhl dun ji geum gwah  
pool li ji mot han na ae soo man eun yae gi ga  
dol ah bo go suh myun eun jae boo tun ga  
na doh mollae eet go eet dun na man ae bi mil_

_{*The present that seems to far away  
and my countless words that are not yet untangled  
When you look back, since some time ago,  
There was my secret that I was forgetting without me knowing}  
_

_**(waiting na ee jae) kuh buh lin guhl kka  
(mwun ga) eel uh buh lin gi euk  
(ee jen na ae geu) jak eun so mang gwah  
kkoom eul eel chi ahn ki leul  
juh ha neul sok ae sok sak eel lae oh yeah_

_{**(waiting I now am) grown up  
(Some kind of) memory that I forgot about  
I hope I wont forget my small hopes and dreams  
I whisper to the heavens oh yeah-}  
_

_kka man bam ha neul ae balk ae bit na dun byul deul ga oon dae na tae uh nan got eet sseul kka  
na neun ji goo in gwah da leun got sae suh  
nae lyuh on guh la mid go ship gido haet ssuh_

_{In the black night sky,  
In the center of the brightly shining stars,  
Is that the place that I was born?  
I also wanted to believe that  
I came down from a different place than Earth}_

repeat *  
repeat ** (2x)

woo- yeah woo-

nuh moo na doh joh eun hyang gi wah  
baram ee na ae gae loh da ga wah

_{The good fragrance  
And the wind, they come to me..}_

_uh neu sen ga na doh mo leu gae  
ga man hee deul lyuh oh neun jak eun sok sak im  
gwee leul gi ool lee go dool luh bo sae yo  
da shi chat gae dwel guh yae yo eet chuh jin gi euk_

_{Sometime ago, without me knowing,  
There was a small whisper  
Perk up your ears and listen  
You will find it again, the forgotten memories}_

_na ee jae duh ee sang noh chi jin ahn ah  
na ae eel uh buh lin gi euk  
ee jen na ae geu jak eun soh mang gwah  
kkoom eul eel chi ahn ki leul  
juh ha neul sok ae sok sak eel lae_

_{I dont ever let go again  
of my forgotten memories  
I hope I wont forget my small hopes and dreams  
I whisper that to the heavens}_

repeat **

As Sakura and the other guys were dancing for a performance they had, Weiz and the others were watching them. Weiz couldn't help but smile broadly at the performance. But from the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a similar piece of pendant that Anna was wearing around her neck. He tried to look at it carefully. As he looked, he was really surprised that it was the other half of the pendant that he had. A lot of things were going through his head, There was a lot of things he didn't understand. He looked at Anna but then decided to leave for a while

(scene change)

The stage was empty aside from a single yard table. The spotlight was on Eriol. He was deep in thought with the pendant of his in his hand. His mind was racing. Then Sakura slowly joined him and sat next to him. When he noticed that she was walking towards him, he quickly replaced the necklace at his pocket.

"Are you alright? You seem a little upset." She said.

He smiled at her. He shook his head and looked at her. "I was just thinking, that's all. I'm sorry if I made you worry." He said.

She smiled and laughed a little. "Are you really sure you're alright?" He smirked and nodded.

"I love you, Anna." He suddenly said.

She was surprised. He looked at her. She blushed. "Weiz…." She said.

He smiled and replied, "I'm surprised myself that I am able to say it out loud just like that."

She stood up and took a few steps away (towards the audience). She closed her eyes. "Weiz…I can't…I…I'm sorry…" She said and ran off.

He started to run after her but interpretative dancers entered the stage and went in between him and Sakura. He tried to come near her but they prevent him. Sakura doesn't turn back. But it could be seen in her expression that she was torn.

(intro to _Star Gazer by Spitz _starts; Eriol sings while interpretative female dancers dance along to keep them apart)

_Tooku tooku ano hikari made todoite hoshii_

_{I want to reach that light far, far away}_

_Hitori bocchi ga setsunai yoru hoshi wo sagashiteru_

_Ashita kimi ga ina kya komaru komaru_

_{A sorrowful night being alone, I'm looking for stars_

_If you aren't here tomorrow, I'll be worried, worried.}_

_GOMI ni narisouna yume bakari kutsu mo odoreteru_

_Ashita kimi ga ina kya komaru komaru_

_{A dream that is about to become garbage, even my shoes are dirty_

_If you aren't here tomorrow, I'll be worried, worried.}_

_Tooku tooku hateshinaku tsutzuku michi no uekara_

_Tsuyoi omoi ano hikari made todoite hoshii_

_{From above the endless path far, far away_

_I want these strong thoughts to reach that light far, far away.}_

_Subete wo kirau osanasa wo kakushi motta mama_

_Tadashiku kazarareta sekai de sekai de_

_{I hide within myself a childishness that despises all,_

_In this world, world, that is properly decorated.}_

_Ichido kiri no makyuu wo nagekomu netsu no mukou he to_

_Naite waratte doro ni mamireta DORAMA no ato de_

_{I'll throw this one magic ball past the heat,_

_After the drama that is covered in mud, cry and laugh.}_

_Akasarete iku himitsu nani ka owari mata hajimari_

_Arifureta kotoba ga karada chuu wo megutte tsubasa ni naru_

_{The secret will be uneviled, something will end but another will start again._

_Words are going all throughout my body and wings will grow.}_

_Hitori bocchi ga setsunai yoru hoshi wo sagashiteru_

_Ashita kimi ga ina kya komaru komaru_

_{A sorrowful night being alone, I'm looking for stars_

_If you aren't here tomorrow, I'll be worried, worried.}_

(scene change; last scene)

Eriol sat with a classmate playing Kojo. They talk about what happened when Weiz confessed to Anna. Eriol played devastates and lost. He really seemed like he didn't know what to do. The classmate was a little empathic. He seemed to understand. He then said that it was a normal thing sometimes. He then went on to say that maybe the reason why she was afraid and told him off because of her condition.

But Weiz knew that it was something much deeper than that. He knew that somehow she knew that importance of the half-pendant and the promise they made a long time ago that no matter where they would end up or what will happen, they would always find each other and bring each other home. They were each other's guardians…the other's angel.

(intro to _Lovers Again by Exile; _sang by Eriol)

_hatsuyuki ni zawameku machi de mioboe no aru sukai buruu no mafuraa_

_furuimuita shiranai kao ni utsumuku_

_{On the first snow on this rustling town, I notice a sky blue scarf_

_When I turn to see a stranger's face, I hang my head down}_

_ano hito ga heya wo deta kara kono taikutsu na machi ni nidome no fuyu_

_boku wa mada omoi no honoo kesezuni kusubutteiru_

_{Since you have left, it's the second winter in this tedious town_

_The burning feelings I have still smolder, never fading}_

_hitori de wa aishiteru akashi sae aimai de setsunai dake_

_futari de wa yasashiku mimamoru koto tsudukerarenai_

_{All alone, the proof of love is covered by an obscure pain_

_Together, we can't continue kindly looking over each other...}_

_mou ichido aitai to negau no wa itami sae itoshii kara_

_tokimeki wo nakushita eien yori atsui setsuna wo..._

_{My wish to meet once again is more lovely than the pain_

_So I'd rather have one hot moment than an eternity of lost memories}_

_sayonara wa boku kara tsugeta koukai naraba nando shita koto darou_

_jikan dake makimodosetara ii no ni_

_{Ever since I said goodbye, I've regretted it so many times_

_If I could only turn back the time}_

_guchibiru wo usuku hiraite mou heiki yo to tsubuyaita ano hito_

_tsuyogari to hontou wa kizuiteita yo kono boku demo_

_{As your lips slightly open, you whisper ;I'm fine;_

_Even I realized it was just a bluff of courage}_

_hitori de wa aisareta kioku sae hakanakute munashii dake_

_futari de wa omoi atatameru imi mitsukerarenai_

_{All alone, the beloved memories are covered by a miserable void_

_Together, we couldn't find the warm meaning of our feelings}_

_mou nido to anna ni dare ka no koto aisenai sou omotteta_

_demo ima wa jounetsu ga me wo samasu yokan ga shiteru..._

_{I thought I could never love anyone again_

_But now I have a premonition of my passion awakening}_

_if i ever fall in love again mou ichido meguri aettara_

_sono te wo hanasanai mou mayowanai sa_

_i just don't know what to say to you kotoba ni dekinai mama de_

_omoi wa afureteku get back in love again_

_{If I ever fall in love again, If we could meet again_

_I won't let go of that hand or lose my way_

_I just don't know what to say to you, Without saying a word_

_My feelings are overflowing, Get back in love again}_

_mou ichido aitai to negau no wa itami sae itoshii kara_

_tokimeki wo nakushita eien yori riaru wo ikiru..._

_{My wish to meet once again is more lovely than the pain_

_So I'd rather live in reality than an eternity of lost memories}_

_mou nido to anna ni dare ka no koto aisenai sou omotteta_

_demo ima wa jounetsu ga me wo samasu yokan ga shiteru..._

_{I thought I could never love anyone again_

_But now I have a premonition of my passion awakening}_

(scene slows down and lights slowly dim but the spotlight doesn't leave Eriol as he stood and walks around the stage; others were preparing to clear the stage; Eriol continued to walk and soon would meet up with Sakura; they would stand in front of each other, looking at each other no really saying anything)

[backstage:

"Tomoyo, Chiharu, we have a problem!" Naoko quickly said. They turned to her.

"The last page of the script is missing! The last scene is hanging! What are we going to write to wrap this play up? If we don't come up with something soon, we will end up with much dead air time and they would all notice that there's something wrong!" Naoko quickly said. She was obviously panicking.

Tomoyo got the pen from her and quickly started writing. She then said, "There's no time. Chiharu just write what I'm writing in the other and let's quickly hold it up so that they know what they are going to do."

As Chiharu and Naoko read what Tomoyo was writing, their eyes flew wide open. They were speechless. They knew that Sakura would kill them after the play but they really didn't have a choice. They then quickly held the board up so that Eriol and Sakura could read.]

(Sakura and Eriol pretended to be looking at each other when in fact they were looking past each other and started to read the last key card for the play. They both were stunned but kept their reactions in check because they knew that they were still in character of the play. _What? You have got to be kidding me? _Sakura told herself. It seemed that Eriol shared the same thought. The cue card read, _'last pages of script missing…improvise and kiss..')_

Eriol and Sakura looked at each other. They blushed. Sakura quickly turned away. _Improvise? Right like that's easy. _Sakura told herself.

"What's the matter?" Eriol then said.

"Huh? Um I'm sorry, Weiz. I really can't." Sakura replied.

Basically they were saying whatever it was that popped into their heads. "It's because of the pendant isn't it?" Eriol asked.

Sakura acted stunned. She turned to look at him in surprise. "How…how…did…you…" Sakura started to say.

Eriol smiled and took out the other half. He then took the necklace from her and said, "I promise to never forget. I never did, Anna. How can I forget you? Did you really think I would just blurt something out if I wasn't sure? I already knew who you are when I saw your necklace when you danced, Angel. You are my angel."

Sakura then acted as if her head hurt from memories trying to break free from her mind. Eriol immediately acted all concerned. "Anna, are you alright?" He asked.

"I…" Sakura answered then looked up at him. "I remember now…everything." She said.

Eriol smiled at her. They were looking at each other. Were they really going to kiss? They both seemed to freeze.

Sakura then turned again. She closed her eyes and blushed. "You are not alone anymore, Anna."

Sakura gulped inwardly. _What am I supposed to reply to that? Come on, Sakura, think! Think quickly! _She closed her eyes again and said, "I know it's just…I've never kissed anyone before…" _Nice way of blurting it out, Sakura…way to go…NO! You could have come up with something better than that line! _Sakura told herself.

Eriol smiled and said, "I've never kissed anyone before either." _Are we actually going to have to do this? _Eriol told himself.

"Yeah well I don't have breath mints with me so can I ask for a rain check?" Sakura suddenly said. Eriol could have laughed but instead allowed himself to smile. _Here goes nothing… _He said to himself. Everyone at the backstage were all eyes as the audience were. Tomoyo, Chiharu and Naoko held the other's arm. They were really on edge.

Eriol held Sakura on her shoulders and whispered as he turned her to face him, "Anna…"

Sakura allowed herself to follow. But as she turned she found herself locked lips with Eriol. For a split second, everything was a standstill. When they broke off, they looked at each other and really blushed. Eriol smiled and said, "You didn't need those breath mints after all."

Sakura smiled and said, "Yeah…I guess…but you do…" Eriol was a little stunned. "I'm kidding." Sakura then replied laughing as Eriol started to laugh along with her. She then wrapped her arms on his neck and said, "You're for real, right?"

Eriol wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled at her. He then said, "Yes. I'm for real."

They acted that they were going to kiss again when the curtains finally closed. They quickly let go of each other and started to run. The others were looking and grinning at them as they quickly got their first costume and ran to change while the recording of the children's voices earlier was played and the music started. They were to sing the last song of the play. The powerpoint presentation was playing along too as the music started and revealed the names of the students of the class, their roles and their picture along with the music.

(_I'm Your Angel by Celine Dion and R Kelly)_

_No Mountains too high, for you to climb  
All you have to do, is have some climbing faith, oh yeah  
No rivers too wide, for you to make it across  
All you have to do, is believe it when you pray_

_{Sakura sings}_

_(one by one the students walk on stage along with their faces, names and roles are displayed on the powerpoint presentation)_

And then you will see, the morning will come  
And everyday will be bright as the sun  
All of your fears, cast them on me  
I just want you to see...

{Eriol sings}  
_  
__**I'll be your cloud up in the sky  
I'll be your shoulder when you cry  
I'll hear your voices when you call  
I am your angel  
And when all hope is gone, I'm here  
No matter how far you are, I'm near  
It makes no difference who you are  
I am your angel  
I'm your angel..**_

_**{Eriol and Sakura sings}**___

I saw the teardrops, and I heard you cry  
All you need is time, seek me and you shall find  
You have everything and you're still lonely  
It don't have to be this way, let me show you a better day

_And then you will see, the morning will come  
And all of your days will be bright as the sun  
So all of your fears, just cast them on me  
How can I make you see..._

_**I'll be your cloud up in the sky  
I'll be your shoulder when you cry  
I'll hear your voices when you call me  
I am your angel  
And when all hope is gone, I'm here  
No matter how far you are, I'm near  
It makes no difference who you are  
I am your angel  
I'm your angel  
**_

_**{Eriol and Sakura walk out on the stage and walked to each other before Eriol extends a hand to Sakura (which she takes) and they head to the front and center of the stage; Sakura and Eriol's pictures are shown together and what was written were **__Sakura Kinomoto as Anna Shinzo Mizuhara a.k.a Eriol Hiiragizawa as Weiz__**}**_

__And when it's time to face the storm  
_I'll be right by your side  
_Grace will keep us safe and warm_  
And I know we will survive_

And just when it seems as if your end is drawing near  
Don't you dare give up the fight  
Just put your trust beyond the sky...

_{second voices either Sakura or Eriol}_

_**I'll be your cloud up in the sky  
I'll be your shoulder when you cry  
I'll hear your voices when you call me  
I am your angel  
And when all hope is gone, I'm here  
No matter how far you are, I'm near  
It makes no difference who you are  
I am your angel  
I'm your angel**_

_{entire class with Eriol and Sakura singing}_

_**I'll be your cloud up in the sky  
I'll be your shoulder when you cry  
I'll hear your voices when you call me  
I am your angel  
And when all hope is gone, I'm here  
No matter how far you are, I'm near  
It makes no difference who you are  
I am your angel  
I'm your angel**_

Everyone in the audience stood and clapped. Class 2-A got a standing ovation. It seemed that they were able to cover up a crisis. When the curtains closed, it was really a big relief for Sakura and Eriol. It seemed that their ordeal was over. It wasn't what they signed up for but at that moment, it no longer mattered. They made it. Everyone started to celebrate.

Sakura and Eriol looked at each other and smiled. It seemed that they were really sharing the same sentiments and thoughts at the moment. Without even thinking about it, they hugged which brought a lot of cheering and teasing from their classmates. They blushed a little when they broke off. People started to pat them on the back.

"Ok, what happened to the last scene? How did the last page get lost?" Sakura finally asked as Tomoyo, Chiharu and Naoko approached them. Eriol wanted to know too.

The three smiled and said, "It doesn't really matter now does it? The play was a success. But I do admit that for a moment there we were all on our toes. Not one of us could blink when you two started to improvise."

Sakura and Eriol shook their heads. It was unbelievable. They got away with it and there wasn't much Sakura or Eriol could do about it.

"I guess your secret is out now, huh, Eriol?" Sakura then said.

"I guess so. It's going to be a little rough and crazy for awhile." Eriol answered.

Sakura smiled and then commented, "Well that's nothing to what people are going to do to me. I think a lot of girls in this school hate me now because of that last scene. To be kissed by a pop star, yeah, it's going to take awhile before people could forget that one."

Eriol started to laugh. "Don't worry. Stick around me and nothing will happen." He offered.

Sakura smiled and said, "To you probably nothing much will happen, but me…I don't even want to think about it. It wouldn't be so bad if you weren't handsome, talented and popular but I guess nothing can be done but face the music." Eriol grinned.

(to be continued…)

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE SONGS IN THIS CHAPTER**

BoA- Atlantis Princess (check out the video of this one in YouTube. The choreography is awesome and well it will give you an idea how Sakura danced to it)

Spitz – Star Gazer

Exile – Lovers Again

Celine Dion and R Kelly – I'm Your Angel

Ok now the play is over and another relationship in Sakura's life just got interesting. Hmmm. Anyway, if the translations of the songs are a little rough and have wrong grammar, sorry. Hey it's not easy translating from Japanese or Korean since their language is very different from some of English writing rules. Please do review and be lenient. Don't be too harsh. Thanks.

Michiko


	21. Sports Day

Chapter 21 Sports Day

As Touya and Sakura were walking home after the concert at school, Touya said, "How come you didn't tell me that you were lead character in the play?"

Sakura froze a little bit with the sudden question. She knew that somehow he just couldn't resist asking it. "I don't even want to talk about it, 'nii-chan."

Touya then grinned. He then wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said, "Come on, imouto-chan. It's me you're talking to."

"That's what I'm afraid of…" Sakura said as she took his arm off her shoulder. Touya grinned again.

"Come on, Sakura. What's really surprising isn't really that Shinzo was actually playing the other lead role but it was more on the surprise that he kissed you or was it you kissed each other." Touya teased.

Sakura blushed. "You never really shut your mouth, 'nii-chan." She said.

Touya started to laugh. "Of course not, imouto-chan. You know it always gets you to talk. So spill. " He said.

"Nii-chan will you just quit it? I told you that I don't even want to talk about it, much less think about it. Geez. For once, will you give me a break?" Sakura said. But she was still blushing like mad.

"Come on. It's just going to be our little secret. You know that I don't go around telling everybody someone's secret including yours." Touya said. Sakura shook her head. Touya then gave her a mischievous grin. "It's just an innocent question, imouto-chan. It just a simple answer. Or do you want Li Shaoran to find out the real reason why you've been avoiding him?"

Sakura's eyes flew wide open. "You wouldn't…" Sakura said.

Touya grinned. He then took out his phone and said, "Watch me."

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you. You're such a pain 'nii-chan." Sakura said.

Touya grinned and closed his phone. He then returned it in his pocket while Sakura took a deep breath.

"It was a last minute thing. We weren't supposed to be the ones to play Anna and Weiz. Those were supposed to be Megumi and Utaro's roles but Megumi developed soar throat and Utaro broke his leg. We were just told this morning. Up at stage, it was just a big cover up that Eriol and I did. As for the last part…" Sakura said then upon reaching the explanation for the last part, she couldn't help herself blush. She couldn't believe that they did it too. She was completely taken by surprise by that. Sakura knew that that was the same with Eriol.

"Go on." Touya urged Sakura on.

Sakura took another deep breath and said, "Well you see since we were just last minute back up actors, they had this big plan of using cue cards for our lines so that we were guided on what to say. We would glance at the side of the stage without breaking out of character or hinting to the audience. It was going well until the last scene." Sakura stopped again.

Touya urged her on again. Sakura gulped. She couldn't believe that she was actually telling her big brother that. "Well the last page of the script went missing so they wrote on the cue card that it was missing and that we should improvise and kiss…there was a big emphasis on KISS…" Sakura finally said.

For a moment, Touya seemed silent. Sakura felt herself being washed over with relief. But it all ended so fast when Touya started laughing. Sakura felt her cheeks grow warm again. She was really annoyed with Touya. She started walking home, leaving him there. Touya ran to catch up and said, "Sorry, imouto-chan. It's just damn you are in the line of fire now. A lot of girls are hating you now because you kissed Eriol or should I say Shinzo."

Sakura gave out a sigh. "Don't you think I know that? It's not like Eriol and I had a choice back there. It was probably the most embarrassing thing I've ever done for a foundation day presentation or basically, my entire life…" Sakura answered.

Touya gave her a tap on the shoulder and said, "Think about it this way, Sakura…it's not everyday you get to be kiss or kiss a pop star. And I've been hearing a few rumors back there that you two are really close. Plus, right now the biggest contender for my sister's affections are ahem…Eriol Hiiragizawa, confirmed by the way by that kiss of yours in front of the school, Ryu Watanabe, confirmed by the kiss he gave you before he left for his basketball tournament days ago and this is shocking…even if Li Shaoran already has a girl friend, some of the guys still bet on him."

Sakura's whole body slumped. _Great. _She told herself. "Thanks for making me feel better, 'nii-chan. I really feel better now." She said sarcastically as she started walking again.

"Will you just chill, imouto-chan." Touya said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder again.

"Easy for you to say…you're not the one doing the juggling act. It's not that I make it a point that I let people's gossip and stuff get to me but it really gets awkward especially when you rub it in." Sakura answered.

Touya started laughing. "Like I said, chill, imouto-chan. It will eventually blow over."

"Yeah I know. It's not like I don't know. I just want it to be sooner." Sakura commented.

Touya grinned. He then decided to change the subject. He then said, "So how was it like kissing a famous pop star like Shinzo Mizuhara?"

Sakura glared at him a little. "Try kissing him and you'll find out." Sakura then answered.

Touya grinned and replied, "I would but I'm not gay. Besides, what's with you lately that guys seem to be drawn to that lips of yours? They simply couldn't resist kissing it." Touya said.

Sakura elbowed Touya's side and said, "I'm not about to kiss you to let you know. Geez. Some big brother I've got…if you are so fascinated about what it feels like to kiss someone, try getting a girl friend already."

Touya smirked and said, "I'm not that desperate. Besides, how can I get a girl friend when I've got my hands full with you being pursued by a lot of guys and having so many problems that you just cry yourself to sleep every night?"

Sakura's face saddened. She then removed his arm from her shoulder and said, "I'm sorry I'm keeping you from happiness too." She then started to walk.

Touya stopped and caught himself. He cursed himself silently. He knew that his joke went a little bit too far. "Hey Sakura! Wait up! I didn't mean it I swear…" Touya said as he ran after her.

Sakura stopped walking. She then turned around and grinned. "Got you." She said and started laughing.

Touya smirked and tickled Sakura. They started laughing. "I give up! I give up!" Sakura finally said. Touya let her go. "But seriously, 'nii-chan. You don't have to watch over me all the time that it stops you from getting a girl friend." Sakura said as Touya looked at her.

He then smiled and said, "Nah…there's always time to find a girl friend. Besides, I think I'll savor the moment first that girls are swooning all over me."

Sakura started laughing and replied, "Ok. I think I need to hold on to something because it's getting pretty windy out here all of a sudden. I think if I'm not careful, I might just be blown away." Touya grinned.

The next day, Sakura met up with her fellow 2-A students. She was wearing a white Tomoeda school shirt and shorts. It was the sports day at last. It was one of her favorite days of the year where they had fun playing different sports and having friendly competitions with the other classes and year levels.

Sakura joined Eriol, Tomoyo, Chiharu and Naoko. The moment she joined the group, it seemed that other people started talking about the 'kiss' during the play. Sakura could feel eyes on her. She could have melted then and there. It seemed that her companions noticed it too.

"Don't worry about them, Sakura. They don't have anything better to talk about. Trust me. They will eventually get tired with it. You might even get used to ignoring things like that after some time." Eriol whispered as he also smiled at her too.

Sakura returned a shaky smile. She wasn't sure if it was really going to work but she knew that it was probably better to go with Eriol on this one. He was a famous pop star after all. He was somehow used to that sort of thing already.

"You excited about today?" Chiharu then asked Sakura.

Sakura smiled at her and replied, "Yeah. I really love sports day."

"Well in that case, I think 2-A is going to do a good job again." Tomoyo commented which made Sakura and the others laugh.

"Let's just enjoy the day, you guys. After this, summer is the next big thing. I don't know about you guys but I'm really looking for summer." Sakura said as they headed to the track field. The games were already starting.

As they were going to take their seats, Megumi came up and said, "Sakura, Shiho was looking for you. She said that she needs help with the relay race paraphernalia. She said that you are the only one authorize with that."

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Alright. I'll get them. Thanks, Megumi." Sakura said as she got up and started to make her way to the store room. Eriol got up and offered to help her carry the stuff back. She smiled at him and thanked him.

As Eriol and Sakura started walking, they had this conversation. "I've been listening to the song you made in my ipod over and over again. I still can't believe that you actually wrote it for me?" Sakura said.

Eriol gave her a short laugh. "What's so unbelievable about it?" He asked.

Sakura smiled and replied, "Well when one asks for help with that sort of thing, well let's just say that a person doesn't usually compose and entirely new song but rather just compiles existing songs. Just imagine my shock when I played the CD and I wasn't familiar with the song and then I check the label only to see a note that says that composed for the free program of Sakura Kinomoto. Yup. That's something that I'm still having trouble believing that it actually happened because that sort of thing never really happens to me."

"Well I'm not just anybody, Sakura, just like you aren't just somebody." Eriol decided to say.

Sakura was a little taken aback with the comment but then smiled. "Hey I don't mean to sound all high-up but really. When I saw you skate, I was just so inspired so writing a song just for you wasn't so hard. Actually it was all I could think about." Eriol then said.

Sakura then laughed a little and said, "Please don't make me blush or else we're both into much trouble."

Eriol started laughing. "Well anyway, how are rehearsals coming along?" He then decided to ask.

Sakura knew that he would eventually ask that question. She smiled at him and replied, "A little sore actually. Since it's a new routine, I have my share of falls, blacks and blues, the works. Other than that, everything is just peachy."

Eriol grinned. He then thought of something. He figured that maybe it will take Sakura's mind off things that have been bothering her lately. He could tell that she was really bothered but tried very hard to just put them aside to put up a strong front for everybody.

Even he, Eriol, could tell how hard Sakura had been trying. He simply was stricken by it. It only brought this great admiration towards her.

"Hey I was thinking…I know you'll be busy this summer but would you like to practice some dance with me sometime? Dad's having me practice some dance routines for the next concert he says. Well I just thought that maybe you'd like to come and join? It could probably help with your ice skating presentation I mean it's more or less like your ballet training." Eriol then said.

Sakura looked at him and smiled. "Sure. That would be fun. Actually, Coach Alekzeeva had made arrangements for me to train under Koji Mikagami. She said that it would be appropriate having heard some portions of the song you made. So I guess that wouldn't hurt." She answered.

"Koji Mikagami? You know Mikagami-san?" Eriol asked, surprised.

Sakura was surprised herself. "Yeah…why?" She then asked.

Eriol grinned and said, "I'm sure your Coach is going to like this because Mikagami-san is the one who has been training me in all of my dance routines."

Sakura's eyes flew wide open. She couldn't believe it. What a small world it was? "Really? Cool! I'm definitely in!" Sakura said. Eriol smiled and nodded.

"I haven't actually started training with him yet. I just met him. He seems to be a nice guy." Sakura said.

Eriol laughed and replied, "Yeah he's a nice guy off practice but a total perfectionist when it comes down to it. Dancing, for him, is life itself. He'll probably be a little rough at first but he'll mellow down soon enough, especially when he sees that you are a natural at dancing. You'll soon become the best of friends."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. Eriol was laughing along with her when they both bumped into Shaoran and Rika.

Sakura tensed a little and tried to act normal. She gave a small bow to them and then shifted her gaze to the other side of the hall as she and Eriol continued walking.

Eriol could sense Sakura's uneasiness so he asked her, "Mikagami-san can be an eccentric sometimes but it's ok I guess."

Sakura laughed a little and said, "Yeah I know what you mean. But I've seen him dance and he's really awesome. I hope that some of his talent would rub against me when it comes to my free presentation."

"Don't worry. You'll do fine." Eriol reassured her.

They knew that somehow that Rika and Shaoran could hear what they were talking about. Eriol wanted Sakura to feel 'normal' again and away from all that hidden drama that unfolded.

"Just promise that when he starts acting a little weird and eccentric, you're not going to leave me." Sakura said.

Eriol grinned and replied, "Of course. I've got it covered. Besides, I'll be scared to leave you with him alone. He can be a little too eccentric for my taste and I get so uncomfortable sometimes so I'm not about to leave you during those moments."

Sakura and Eriol started laughing again. They just got what they needed from the store room and headed back.

When they got back, the games were at full swing. Ryu and Kenishiro then joined them. They got the boxes from Sakura and Eriol.

"Hey look! Shiho is about to run!" Tomoyo said as she came up and started to drag Sakura away from the guys. They looked and followed.

"You seem so excited." Sakura commented.

Tomoyo smiled and exchanged glances with Naoko and Chiharu. She then whispered to Sakura, "You see that guy over there? He has this big crush on Shiho. What he doesn't know is that Shiho has a big crush on him too. The reason why she volunteered to run the 100 m dash is to impress him and sort of make him notice her. That's what I dragged you here for."

Sakura squealed a little and replied, "Awww…that's so sweet." She then smiled. Tomoyo, Chiharu and Naoko exchanged smiles and nodded. Then they heard the gun shot to signal the start. The runners quickly dashed down the track.

"Go Shiho!" Sakura and the others cheered. Sakura then felt Tomoyo elbow her and motioned her to look at another direction. Sakura smiled when she realized that Shiho's crush was also cheering hard for her.

Chiharu and Naoko started to laugh a little bit. Eriol got curious at what the girls were really up to. He looked at the direction to where Sakura and Tomoyo had looked. He saw the guy cheering. "You guys have a crush on him?" He whispered so that only Sakura and Tomoyo could hear. They both jumped.

"No. Of course not." Sakura replied laughing.

"Yeah. Sakura here already has her love life made all colorful."

Tomoyo replied which made Sakura reply, "Hey!" But then she continued on, "I don't go for younger guys. Besides, he's practically almost taken."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. Eriol seemed to be a little confused. Sakura then whispered, "Check out Shiho. She won to impress the guy she doesn't know is head-over-heels with her." Eriol's gaze then drifted to Shiho. He then started to follow Shiho's stolen gazes and the guy's bashful looks. When he finally got what they were talking about, he too couldn't help but laugh. Sakura and Tomoyo started laughing too.

Ryu and Kenishiro then approached them and asked what was going on. "Sorry. But I'm on the next event. Come on, Eriol. Let's congratulate Shiho before the run." Sakura said as she and Eriol left laughing.

"What was that about?" Ryu asked.

"If you ask me, I'll have to say that that my friend is your competition." Kenishiro replied. Tomoyo, Naoko and Chiharu started laughing.

"Well if you must know, it's the wrong student council's love life we were talking about." Tomoyo said. Ryu and Kenishiro looked at her.

"Wrong student council member?" They asked then it dawned on them. The only student council member left was Shiho.

"Well I'll be damned.." Kenishiro commented with a smile.

"Our little Shiho is growing up." He continued on to say.

Ryu smirked and said, "The question now is…how long will take Shiho to realize that he likes her too?" Naoko and Chiharu laughed.

"Something tells me that it won't be long now…" Tomoyo said as she pointed to where Shiho, Eriol and Sakura were. Shiho was blushing like mad. Ryu and Kenishiro smirked. They saw Sakura and Eriol leave her and prepared for the race. Sakura wished Eriol luck before she headed to her position.

It was the last race of the day. The baton pass. Eriol was on the third leg of the race and Sakura was on the home stretch. It was going to be boy-girl-boy-girl run. The gun sounded and adrenalin was running through Sakura's body. One. Two. Now the runner was Eriol. He was running towards her. Sakura prepared herself. She started running a little and as Eriol passed the baton, "Good luck, Sakura!" He shouted as she dashed with everything she had towards the finish line.

For a split second, she forgot everything and it was clear. The finish line was clear. She smiled to herself. It didn't matter if her team would win but, for Sakura, all that mattered was the finish line.

Sakura ran and ran and soon she crossed the finish line. She hadn't noticed that she beat the second place winner by just a second. The next thing she knew was that her team was there by her side, celebrating. Their classmates were cheering. Soon, Eriol and Sakura were joined by Shiho, Tomoyo, Naoko, Chiharu, Ryu and Kenishiro. They were laughing and talking. Shaoran, from where he was standing, smirked. He wished he could go up to them and congratulate them but he knew better.

The bell sounded and the Principal said to get ready for the awarding ceremonies. "That's our cue. Come on let's get going." Chiharu said to Sakura and Naoko. They excused themselves and ran to prepare to present that year's cheerleading grand presentation, in preparation for the summer interschool games.

"Now I'm excited. The squad worked extra hard this year. I'm sure they will just leave us in awe." Tomoyo commented as they headed to the bleachers. Shiho, Ryu and Kenishiro joined their classes again while they all waited for the cheering squad to perform.

Just like the year before, after the Principal had given his speech and before the awards were given, the cheer squad entered and gave their performance to remind the student body of school spirit. And just on cue, Sakura and the others cleared the dance area and prepared their pompoms and such before finally going to their respective places.

When the music started, Sakura and Naoko started running towards the front and started to do a series of flips, followed by the others. When all of them were on the field, they stood all at the same time and started to dance with the music. Strong, precise movements. Soon it was time for the stunts. The squad divided into three. Sakura, Chiharu and another senior girl then stood on the hands of their teammates and at the same time were lifted. They stood tall and proud. They stood strong especially when those who were supporting them started walking and it seemed that the three groups were walking into a circle. Everyone was in awe. They knew it was difficult to have that stunt done.

Then when they stopped with the music, Sakura, Naoko and the senior girl were tossed and they jumped, twisted forward and landed at the same time as the other cheerleaders knelt. They gathered their pompoms and started to dance again. After a few synchronized dance moves, they formed a pyramid and hosted the Tomoeda High flag. It was done.

(to be continued…)

Hmm…I'll spare my comments this time. Hehe. I hope you guys will see what happens next with me. Thanks.

Michiko


	22. French Embassy

Chapter 22 French Embassy

Summer. It came bring this feeling of relief. The first morning of summer, Sakura woke up and smiled. She felt this freedom that she hadn't been feeling in quite awhile. It had been over a month since she last talked with Shaoran and she wasn't hiding anymore the fact from him that she was indeed avoiding him. It felt like a breath of fresh air. She really looked forward to summer. What made her smile more was the fact that she was going to start her internship at the French embassy. She had been looking forward to that since her birthday.

Sakura readied herself. It was going to be her first day at the embassy. She was told that it was going to be an orientation day. She wore a very simple yellow summer dress and brought a white collared jacket so she could wear over to be a little formal in attire at the embassy. She combed her hair and ties it in a ponytail. She looked at herself at the mirror and gave one last approval before she got her ID. She then headed downstairs. It seemed that their father hadn't arrived the night before. She figured that he was still at the university for work. There wasn't any sign of Touya around. Sakura thought it weird. She decided to look for him.

"'Nii-chan? 'Nii-chan?" Sakura called out. She listened. There seemed to be no answer. There wasn't any note at the kitchen or at their schedule board. Sakura decided to check up on his room. She knocked and entered. "'Nii-chan?" She said. She then saw Touya trying to get up. Sakura quickly went to his side. She felt his forehead. He had a high temperature.

"Oh 'nii-chan…" Sakura said as she sat next to him. "Let me make you some soup and some fresh juice. I'll be right back." Sakura said.

Touya held her arm and said, "You start at the French embassy today. Go." Sakura looked at him. He had a stern expression.

She then said, "I won't be late. Let me get you something. I'll be home before lunch. It's just orientations today."

Touya let her go and laid back down. "Do what you want." He said.

Sakura knew that her brother was definitely sick. He didn't even argue with her. Sakura quickly got an apron and started to prepare soup for her brother. While she waited for the chicken to boil, she prepared fresh orange juice for him. Sakura continued to do the cooking and after awhile, she brought the tray up to her brother. She smiled a little. She couldn't even remember the last time she had done this for her brother. Usually it was the other way around. She knocked again and brought the food in. Touya sat up.

Sakura sat there by his side and waited for him to finish. "Look. You're going to be late. If it makes you feel better, I'll just leave the tray outside the door when I'm through. Just get to the embassy already." Touya said.

Sakura didn't move for a moment. "Alright then. I'm off, 'nii-chan. I'll be back before lunch." Sakura said before she finally left. She got her handbag and headed for the door.

When she left the house, she got her cell phone and dialed Yukito's number. After a few rings, Yukito picked up. "Good morning, Sakura. Big day ahead of you." He greeted.

Sakura couldn't help but smile. Yukito always knew how to make her smile. "Hey Yukito-san. Um listen…'nii-chan is sick. Is it ok if you cover for him at work just for today?" She said.

"Sure, no problem. Is he ok?" He asked.

"Yeah. He's eating breakfast now and I told him to rest afterwards. I'll be back before lunch. They said that it's just orientation today. I've called 'tou-chan and says that he'll be back early today too." Sakura said.

"Hmm…alright then. I'll call him to tell him not to worry about his work. I can cover for him. Thanks for telling me Sakura. You really are a great little sister." Yukito replied. Sakura couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll be passing by Marie's Sweet Cakes shop later. I was thinking that 'nii-chan might like to have some of his favorite blueberry cream pies. Would you like some strawberry tarts too? I'll come by there later before I head home. I thought I might bring you some as well." Sakura then said.

"Sure. That would be great, Sakura." Yukito replied.

Sakura smiled and said, "Ok. I'll meet up with you later then."

"Alright. Have a great time at the embassy, Sakura." Yukito said.

"Thanks, Yukito-san." Sakura replied before she hung up.

Sakura then headed to the embassy. _"_Bonjour, monsieur. Je suis Sakura Kinomoto, le nouvel interne. Je ne suis pas sûr où je vais aller. Je recherche Mlle Valenti._ (Good morning, Sir. I am Sakura Kinomoto, the new intern. Um, I'm not sure where I'm going to go. I'm looking for Miss Valenti)."_Sakura said to the guard after she went through the security check and showed the guard her ID.

"Bonjour, mme. Kinomoto. Je vous porterai à où Mlle Valenti est maintenant. (_Good morning, Ms. Kinomoto. I will take you to where Miss Valenti is now_.)" The guard said. Sakura bowed and thanked him.

As the guard showed her to where Miss Valenti was, he said, "Je suis étonné que vous pouvez parler français très bien. _(I'm surprised that you can speak French very well_.)" Sakura smiled.

"Merci, monsieur. J'ai pratiqué beaucoup parce que ce fait partie de mon rêve. J'ai su que ce serait un jour utile. (_Thank you, Sir. I've practiced a lot because it's part of my dream. I knew that it would be helpful one day_.)"

"Bien, manque, c'est certainement des capitaux. Bienvenue à l'ambassade française. (_Well, miss, it certainly is an asset. Welcome to the French embassy_.)" The guard said as he opened the door to a room as Sakura smiled at him and entered.

Sakura then saw a woman sitting behind a desk look up at her. Her features were strong and she possessed this aura of erudite woman in her forty's with much confidence without being overbearing or overly confident. She was tall but fit. "Bonjour, Mlle Valenti. Je Suis Sakura Kinomoto. (_Good morning, Miss Valenti. I'm Sakura Kinomoto_.)" Sakura greeted and extended her hand. Miss Valenti smiled and shook her hand.

"Nice pour vous rencontrer, Sakura. Vous avez une commande très gentille de Français. (_Nice to meet you, Sakura. You have a very nice command of French.)"_Miss Valenti commented. Sakura smiled and thanked her. Sakura noticed that Miss Valenti's accent was a little different. She didn't have to wait long for an explanation.

"Vous pourriez vous interroger sur mon accent car ce n'est pas Français typique. Je suis réellement italien. J'ai été emballé à Rome jusqu'à ce que j'aie eu huit ans jusqu'à ce que ma famille se soit déplacée en France. Mon mari et beau-père sont les diplomates français ici et ainsi je travaille ici aussi bien. (_You might be wondering about my accent as it is not typical French. I am actually Italian. I was raced in Rome until I was eight until my family moved to France. My husband and father-in-law are French diplomats here and so I work here as well.)_" Miss Valenti explained.

Sakura fond it odd. "Ma'am, si je peux... n'est pas Valenti par nom italien? (_Ma'am, if I may...isn't Valenti an Italian name_?)"

Miss Valenti smiled and replied, "Oui. J'emploie mon premier nom. Mon nom marié est DeCuir. Je suis la belle-fille de l'ambassadeur. Ce n'est pas un mystère ici dans l'ambassade mais j'emploierais plutôt mon premier nom en faisant face au travail parce que je ne veux pas que les personnes pensent que l'ambassadeur me donne quelque chose des frais supplémentaires parce que je suis sa belle-fille. Il a convenu que je peux employer mon premier nom pour ne montrer aucune favoritisme parmi son personnel. (_Yes. I use my maiden name. My married name is DeCuir. I am the Ambassador's daughter-in-law. It is not a mystery here in the embassy but I would rather use my maiden name in dealing with work because I do not want people to think that the Ambassador gives me something extra because I am his daughter-in-law. He agreed that I may use my maiden name to show no favoritism among his staff.)"_

Sakura noticed that Miss Valenti was very motherly in a way she spoke. She could feel this kindness from her. But Sakura knew that business was business.

"Je vous dis ceci, Sakura, parce que tandis que vous êtes ici, pensez svp à nous en tant que famille. Vous travaillerez sous moi comme mon aide et moi veulent que mon personnel sache que je ne cache rien d'eux. Je ne parle pas japonais très bien qui est pourquoi je suis soulagé pour rencontrer finalement une jeune femme en tant que vous-même pour être très à l'aise dans le Japonais. Quand votre ami est venu me donner votre application, la plus grande considération est venue du fait que vous parlez français. Mais honnêtement parlant, je ne me suis pas attendu à ce que vous soyez ceci fluent. (_I'm telling you this, Sakura, because while you are here, please think of us as a family. You will be working under me as my assistant and I want my staff to know that I hide nothing from them. I do not speak Japanese very well that is why I am relieved to finally meet a young woman as yourself to be very fluent in Japanese. When your friend came and gave me your application, the greatest consideration came from the fact that you speak French. But honestly speaking, I did not expect you to be this fluent.)"_Miss Valenti commented.

Sakura smiled and replied, "Je comprends parfaitement, Ma'am. C'est un grand honneur à choisir et pouvoir travailler ici. Si je peux dire ainsi, je peux également parler italien, bien que j'apprenne toujours l'espagnol. J'espère que je pourrai être utile à vous d'une manière quelconque. (_I understand perfectly, Ma'am. It is a great honor to be chosen and to be able to work here. If I may say so, I can also speak Italian, though I am still learning Spanish. I hope that I may be of help to you in some way.)" _

Miss Valenti smiled and seemed amused. She then nodded. "Parlate italiano? (_You speak Italian?)" _Miss Valenti asked in Italian.

"Sì, Ma'am. Il mio padre lo ha pensato il più bene che imparassi l'italiano con il francese perché mi ha detto che le lingue fossero molto simili. Quello è inoltre perchè mi aveva chiesto di imparare lo Spagnolo anche. (_Yes, Ma'am. My father thought it best that I learn Italian with French because he told me that the languages are very similar. That is also why he had asked me to learn Spanish too.)" _Sakura answered in Italian.

This impressed Miss Valenti a great deal. It was very rare to find a Japanese girl fluent enough with French. It was even rarer to find a girl in Japan who could speak Italian alongside French fluently. "Très bon, Sakura. Nous obtiendrons le long de l'amende juste. (_Very good, Sakura. We will get along just fine.)" _She then got up and motioned Sakura to follow her.

"Venez. Laissez-moi vous montrer autour et vous présenter à certains qui travaillent ici. Maintenant, que vous le travail sera fondamentalement soyez mon aide. Vous aiderez des documents de dossier, des appels de réponse, et des choses comme cela. Vous aurez Genevieve ici pour vous aider. Elle a travaillé avec moi pendant plus d'une année. Elle prendra soin de vous. Si vous aurez des problèmes, n'hésitent- pas à lui dire ou à me dire, ok? (_Come. Let me show you around and introduce you to some people who work here. Now, you job will be basically be my assistant. You will help file documents, answer calls, and things like that. You will have Genevieve here to help you. She has worked with me for over a year. She will take care of you. If you will have problems, don't hesitate to tell her or to tell me, ok?)" _Miss Valenti said as she introduced Sakura to Genevieve, her other assistant. She then went on to shop Sakura around, told her the rules, how things were done and everything. Sakura was really grateful for the opportunity.

When Sakura left the embassy for the day, she couldn't help but feel really happy. Her dream was coming true. This was going to be a great learning opportunity. She had wanted this ever since she was a little girl. Her thoughts then drifted back to Yukito. He had gotten her this opportunity.

When Sakura went to Marie's Sweet Cakes shop, she bought the blueberry cream pies for Touya and the strawberry tarts that Yukito loved so much. She then bought an almond chocolate cake for Yukito. She knew that he liked it too. It was the least she could do for giving her that chance to grab her dream. She smiled as she took the cakes and headed to the coffee shop where Yukito worked part-time.

When she got to the coffee shop, Sakura sat at the counter and was immediately greeted by Yukito. Sakura handed him the tarts.

"Thanks, Sakura. But it was truly unnecessary." Yukito said.

Sakura smiled at him and replied, "It's nothing, Yukito-san and here." Sakura then gave him the cake. "This is for the opportunity to work at the French embassy. This is just a small token of gratitude." She said. Yukito smiled at her warmly and accepted it.

"So, how was the first day?" He asked.

Sakura gave him a big smile and replied, "It was wonderful! Everybody is so friendly and helpful. I know it's going to be hard work from here on end but it doesn't matter. Just being there gives me this feeling like I'm on top of the world. It truly is awesome. I can't thank you enough for giving me this chance, Yukito-san." Yukito smiled at her again. He then gave her a small package. Sakura was a little surprised.

She opened it and it contained a delicately sewn pouch bag. Sakura smiled and looked up at Yukito. "It's beautiful, Yukito-san. Thank you."

He smiled at her and replied, "I made it for you because I thought you might like it." Sakura gave him a hug and thanked him again. After a few minutes of talking, Sakura finally said goodbye so she could get back home and help Touya. She couldn't help but smile. Almost everything was making her smile that day. Now she really liked that summer vacation. It was simply perfect.

As Sakura walked home, she bumped into Ryu, Kenishiro and a few of their friends. She smiled at them and greeted them.

"Hey Sakura. I thought that you start at the French embassy today?" Ryu said.

She smiled at him and replied, "Yup. I just came from there. It's just orientation today. The real work starts tomorrow until the end of summer."

"You want to grab something eat with us?" Kenishiro asked.

Sakura smiled again and answered, "I'd love to guys but I can't. I've got to get home. 'Nii-chan is sick and 'tou-chan is not home. I need to help him out. Sorry guys. Maybe some other time." R

yu and the others grinned. Even if Sakura and Touya teased each other a lot, it was still clear that they cared about each other very much. They really took care of one another, especially when the other was in trouble or was sick. They said their goodbyes and watched Sakura leave.

Kenishiro laid his arm by the elbow on Ryu's shoulder. "Looks like Sakura even bought some cakes from Marie's Sweet Cake shop for Kinomoto-san. I wish I had a younger sister like that. I can only imagine though what Kinomoto-san would do to you if you hurt Sakura. Not only that…there's Tsukishiro-san and even Shaoaran." Kenishiro then patted Ryu on the back and said, "I sure hope you know what you are doing?" Ryu smirked and said nothing.

(to be continued…)

Special thanks to Amli who helped in editing the French translations. Hehe. ^_^ Sorry. I'm still not good with French and I still have a lot to learn ^_^ C'est la vie ^_^

Also thanks to an angel from darkness who offered to edit as well ^_^ thanks! ^_^

First day of summer. First day of changes. Be careful not to expect too much because I can tell that the next things that will happen might just shock you. Hehe. Thanks for reviewing and reading until this chapter. I hope you continue to send in what you think. Thanks.

Michiko


	23. Stand off

Chapter 23 Stand off

Sakura had been working at the embassy for a month now. She had grown accustomed to waking up in the morning and going to work like her brother and father. She was really enjoying the experience. It didn't feel like work. She still had practice though everyday at the same time and she had a full day practice every Saturday.

Every day and all day at Sunday, Sakura would meet up with Eriol and study dance under Koji Mikagami. Occasional dates every now and then with Ryu, hang out sessions with Tomoyo and the others every now and then, yeah, summer was proving to be a great time for Sakura.

That day, Sakura entered the French embassy on time as usual. "Bonjour, monsieur De Bois. (_Good morning, Mr. De Bois_.)" Sakura greeted the guard as she was passing through the check point and gave her ID.

The guard smiled at her and replied, "Bonjour, Sakura. Ce va être un autre jour intéressant. Il semble qu'un bon nombre de gens viennent aujourd'hui. (_Ah, good morning, Sakura. It's going to be another interesting day. It seems a lot of people are coming today.)" _

Sakura smiled and said, "Vraiment ? Espoir du puits I que ce ne sera pas que beaucoup d'ennui aujourd'hui. (_Really? Well I hope that it won't be that much trouble today.)" _The guard smiled and she went inside.

Sakura set her things down at her desk and bid Genevieve a good morning. It seemed that Miss Valenti still wasn't down there. Sakura and Genevieve started filing documents and preparing the day's schedule. The day soon began in full swing. There were a lot of phone calls. There were a lot of documents. There were a lot of interviews from people who wished to go to France, looking for jobs, consulting other matters. Then Sakura noticed this middle-aged man. He only had one leg and the other was a metal prosthetic leg. She noticed that he had been there everyday for the past two to three weeks already.

As Sakura set some papers down at her desk, she asked Genevieve, "Genevieve, cet homme est là-bas ici encore. Que veut-il ? (_Genevieve, that man over there is here again. What does he want?)"_

Genevieve was looking at whom Sakura was referring to. She then turned back to her work. She then started to explain to Sakura, "Il est tragique réellement. Cet homme a eu une fille en France. Elle travaillait en tant que journaliste dans un des journaux locaux. Elle a été affectée pour couvrir une opération très dangereuse. Elle a impliqué quelques bustes de drogue. Elle a été attrapée au milieu et elle et son associé sont morts. Que l'homme était venu même avant que vous êtes venu et avait demandé l'aide. Nous faisons le meilleur nous bidon pour trouver les tueurs mais il semble que là il est plus compliqué que ce ainsi Interpol s'est appelé depuis lui croise les internes internationaux. Que la fille de l'homme était la seule famille il était parti et quand sa mort a été confirmée et son cas n'a toujours pas progressé, il assortissent de commencé à le perdre. C'est vraiment une tragédie mais ce fait partie de la vie. La mauvaise substance arrive à quelques bonnes gens. (_It's tragic actually. That man had a daughter in France. She was working as a reporter in one of the local papers. She was assigned to cover a very dangerous operation. It involved some drug busts. She was caught in the middle and she and her partner died. That man has been coming even before you came and has been asking for help. We are doing the best we can to find the killers but it seems that there it is more complicated than that so Interpol has been called since it crosses international boarders. That man's daughter was the only family he had left and when her death was confirmed and her case still hasn't progressed, he sort of started to lose it. It's really a tragedy but that is part of life. Bad stuff happens to some good people.)"_

When Sakura understood, she couldn't help but empathize with the man. "Il est le meilleur si vous restez loin de lui, Sakura. Il n'y a pas vraiment quelque chose que nous pouvons faire jusqu'à ce que nous entendions d'Interpol. (_It is best if you stay away from him, Sakura. There isn't really anything we can do until we hear from Interpol.)" _Genevieve advised Sakura.

Sakura thought about it and just sat down. Genevieve was right. There wasn't much they could offer unless Interpol had already finished their investigation so that they could start persecuting the culprits.

The day progressed as normal. But then Miss Valenti asked Genevieve and Sakura to stay a little longer. They obliged. As Sakura and Genevieve started to fix up, the man earlier suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Genevieve.

"Don't move! Be quiet! I have a gun! I have a gun!" The man started to shout in Japanese.

Genevieve's mouth was covered by the man's hand. Sakura knew that she didn't quite understand what the man was saying as she wasn't that fluent with Japanese.

"Alright. Alright, Sir. Calm down. I will translate what you said to my friend ok? So she'd understand. Is that alright?" Sakura decided to say. She tried to stay as calm as she could. Basically she had Genevieve's life in her hands. The man nodded. Sakura knew that he was already agitated.

"Genevieve, ne se déplacent pas et veuillez sont tranquille. Ne paniquez pas, satisfaire. Il lui a fait une remarque pour que nous sachent qu'il a un pistolet. (_Genevieve, please don't move and be quiet. Don't panic, please. He has made it a point for us to know that he has a gun.)" _Sakura said. She could see that Genevieve grew rigid when she mentioned a gun but she tried to keep herself calm and follow what was said. Sakura smiled at her for encouragement.

"Um, Sir, what do you want? What can we do to help?" Sakura said to the man. She wanted to calm him down. The man looked at her. Sakura gave him a shaky smile. "I'm Sakura. May I ask your name, Sir?" She decided to say. She was really having a hard time comprehending the entire picture. She wished that Miss Valenti and her family wouldn't be coming into the room. She was also thinking how to tell the people outside the room that they were in trouble. Sakura's mind was racing.

"My…my name…I'm Matsurada Ito." The man replied. Sakura felt a tinge of relief knowing that she was getting somewhere.

"Ok…ok…Matsurada-san…" Sakura started to say but then the door opened and Miss Valenti entered with her small daughter, husband and father-in-law, the Ambassador.

The man then took out the gun from his jacket and aimed it at the Ambassador. Instantly they were filled with fear. "Shut the door! Shut the door!" The man started shouting.

The Ambassador and his family looked petrified in fear. They didn't move. The man then aimed the gun at Sakura and said, "Translate it to them or I'll kill her!"

He then aimed the gun at Genevieve's head. "Ok, ok. Please…calm down…" Sakura said and then quickly turned to them. She knew that the Ambassador understood. He wouldn't have been the Ambassador if he didn't.

"Monsieur l'ambassadeur, svp. (_Mr. Ambassador, please.)" _Sakura said in a rather shaky voice.

The Ambassador reluctantly closed the door. The man then turned to Sakura again and said, "Tell them to go to that corner over there."

"Veuillez svp font un saut à ce coin 2la-bas. (_Please…please…go over to that corner over there.)" _Sakura said. She almost choked with her words.

The man then let go of Genevieve and motioned her and Sakura to join them at the corner. "Why are you doing this?" The Ambassador then asked. The man looked at him. There was this air of desperation in his eyes. "I tried to be civil. I've tried to do it the proper way. But your people have done nothing to find her! Mira is alive! Your government is doing nothing about it! To you she is just another statistic!" The man started shouting and aiming the gun aimlessly.

A guard then entered because of the commotion. The man was determined to get his point down. He shot the guard and seemed to have killed him. He then aimed the gun at the Ambassador and said, "If you're men don't stop coming, the next bullet will be for one of you."

The Ambassador tried to keep his calm as his son and daughter-in-law tried to shield their child from all that was happening. Sakura and Genevieve weren't faring better. It was clear that they were shaken especially having seen a man killed. The Ambassador then said, "C'est l'ambassadeur français, Philip DeCuis. Dites chacun de ne pas entrer dans cette pièce ou il commencera à tirer. Nous sommes très bien. Séjour juste en arrière. (_This is the French Ambassador, Philip DeCuis. Tell everyone to not enter this room or he will start shooting. We are fine. Just stay back.)" _His men then started to back away and urged the other people who were still there to leave the building immediately.

From the room, they could hear the commotion outside. Sakura swallowed hard and closed her eyes. She was gathering every ounce of strength and courage she had. She wasn't really good at seeing people getting killed. Her mind then drifted back at the dark cave some time back.

At that time she had Shaoran to wrap his arms around her and tell her that it was going to be alright even if she tripped and saw a dead body. This time, she was alone. She was one of the only two people who could understand this estranged man who was fighting desperation very negatively.

"You know, you look like my daughter." The man said suddenly. Sakura opened her eyes and looked at the man. She felt a little sick when she realized that he was looking and talking at her. "Mira is just like you. Smart. Strong. Loves France. I told her not to go but it was her dream." The man said.

Sakura decided to talk to him. She thought that probably she might be able to calm him down and convince him to let the others go. "What's she like, Matsurada-san?" She asked.

He started relating his daughter's life and how she was when she was growing up. It seemed to be working. He was in this moment where he was just absorbed in his memories but still coherent of the present. Sakura wanted to make eye contact with the Ambassador and the others but she knew she couldn't let her guard down and take her attention away from Matsurada. She needed to get this opportunity so that they could get out of there alive.

But as he related, tears started coming from his eyes when he started to tell about the ordeals Mira went through during her final months. He then got up and aimed the gun at the Ambassador. He started yelling, "It's your fault! You did not protect Mira! She served France by reporting news, unbiased, untainted. And you repay her by letting her go into danger."

"Matsurada-san! Please! Please…don't...from what you've said…I doubt that Mira-san would have wanted you to do this…please…do you think that she would want you to hurt another person?" Sakura said as she got up and stood slightly near the man. She was afraid for the Ambassador's life. It seemed to have brought hesitation in the man. "Please…Matsurada-san…don't lose faith in the system. You believed in it for this long, don't lose your faith now…people are trying to piece it back together."

Just then they started to hear a helicopter. It seemed that there a lot of police cars had assembled outside. The phone started to ring. It brought this tension in the air as the ring continued. Sakura then looked at Genevieve then to Miss Valenti, her daughter, her husband and finally the Ambassador. Somehow she was searching for an answer on what to do with them. The Ambassador held her gaze. Sakura felt that somehow he was empowering her to continue. She could feel this gentle, reassuring strength that came from the man. Sakura wanted to cry but bit her lip to stop herself.

Matsurada ordered Sakura to take her seat again. Sakura didn't have to choice but to follow. She was allowed to sit next to the Ambassador. The Ambassador gave her a nod. He smiled at her. Sakura bowed slightly in return. It seemed that he wanted to tell her something but refrained because it might agitate Matsurada further. The phone continued to ring.

Then a loud speaker sounded from the outside, "Whoever is in charge, answer the phone." A man said. Matsurada seemed a little more agitated. Then the phone rang again. Finally, Matsurada finally answered the phone. Sakura could feel a lump for on her throat. She was hoping for the best. She was just in high school for crying out loud but she found herself in that situation, serving as a translator for those who couldn't understand the man.

While the man was on the phone, the Ambassador said, "You are doing well, my dear." Sakura looked up at him. The old man was smiling down at her. She gave him a shaky smile.

Sakura could sense this feeling of reassurance coming from the Ambassador. He spoke this rough Japanese, heavy on the French accent though very understandable. Sakura, looking at him, felt like she was looking at her own grandfather. At that point, Sakura checked her watch. She was shocked when she realized that it had been more than two hours already since the stand off started. It felt longer. She swallowed hard. She was fighting back her tears.

"It's alright, my dear. We will get out of here. I understand how frightening it is. I wish I could have stopped this from happening." The Ambassador suddenly said when he noticed Sakura's agitation. He knew that they were all frightened, especially his granddaughter. Matsurada was still on the phone.

Sakura looked at him and nodded. "I believe, Mr. Ambassador, that everything will be alright. If we lose hope then it's useless, Sir…that is what I believe…" Sakura replied.

The Ambassador smiled and replied, "Very well said, Sakura. Yes everything will turn out fine."

Matsurada then noticed that the Ambassador was talking with Sakura. A shot then came and rattled the silence. They screamed. Blood splattered all over Sakura and the others. The Ambassador was shot. He was still alive but bleeding. Sakura quickly started to apply pressure on the Ambassador's gunshot wound to his upper chest. He was lucky that the bullet missed a vital organ. Sakura was helped by his son. The Ambassador was in shock. He was going in and out of consciousness. Matsurada then came and started to drag Sakura away from them by the hair.

"Who told you, you can speak to the Ambassador?" He shouted at Sakura. He then pushed her up against the desk.

The phone started to ring again. "What?" Matsurada shouted. Sakura's breathing was becoming faster. She didn't know what to do. Nothing could ever have prepared her for that situation. Her gaze then met Genevieve and then Miss Valenti. Sakura then looked at Matsurada.

He was shouting over the phone, "What I want is my daughter! Bring my daughter to me within an hour or someone else dies!" He then slammed the phone down. Sakura just slid to the floor while the others were at the other corner of the room. She could tell that the Ambassador was alive but barely. His son was looking after him. Miss Valenti tried to cover her daughter's eyes, to shield her from all the chaos that was happening there.

Matsurada started pacing the room. They were all silent. It seemed that they were able to patch the Ambassador up. But he would still need medical assistance immediately. The Ambassador's son then started to ask what Matsurada wanted. Neither man could vaguely understand each other. They could only recognize a few of the words the other uttered. Matsurada then pointed the gun at Sakura and told her to tell them what he wanted.

Sakura gulped and started to say, "Il demande sa fille. Il veut que sa fille soit ici dans une heure ou il dit il va tirer quelqu'un d'autre. (_He's asking for his daughter. He wants his daughter to be here in an hour or he says he's going to shoot someone else.)"_

"Mais c'est impossible. Les dossiers indiquent que sa fille est morte en France il y a quelques mois. (_But that's impossible. The files say that his daughter has died in France a few months ago.)" _Miss Valenti said. Sakura nodded gravely.

"Nous allons mourir? (_We're going to die_?)" Genevieve asked.

"Genevieve." Miss Valenti said. Matsurada then motioned Sakura to tell him what it was they said.

Sakura then said, "It takes more than an hour for anyone to get on a plane in France and land in Japan. Genevieve asked if there was another way. Miss Valenti just motioned her to be silent and think." She lied. She didn't want to blow up any chance for them to live longer. She knew that the mental state of the man was running thin and telling him the truth might just make him snap.

Matsurada then slapped Sakura across the face really hard which made her fall to the floor. It seemed that he knew that she had lied. Sakura looked fearfully up at him. He was about to shout something when Miss Valenti suddenly shouted, "Marie!" Her daughter was starting to lose consciousness.

"Veuillez laisser nous partir ou au moins ma fille ! Elle est diabétique ! (_Please let us go or at least my daughter! She is diabetic!)_" Miss Valenti pleaded which Sakura quickly translated. The man seemed rattled but still didn't allow anyone to leave. Miss Valenti continued to plead for her daughter's life as tears started to roll down her face.

"Please Matsurada-san…please let her and the Ambassador go…if one of them dies, the government of France will not let you see your daughter ever again. They will not take you to where she is or continue searching for those who hurt her…please…" Sakura pleaded. Matsurada seemed to reconsider. He checked his watch. It was almost time for the police to call again.

He said nothing. They waited as Miss Valenti continued to cry and her husband trying to comfort her, although it was also clear that he was very shaken and worried for his daughter and father. Genevieve seemed to be in deep shock. Sakura could tell that she was petrified.

When the phone rang, Sakura remembered feeling that it was the most welcome sound in her life. She hoped that Matsurada finally agreed to at least let the Ambassador and the young child go. Matsurada said, "Prepare a medical kit and give some sweets. I will get it. No one leaves." Sakura was horrified when she heard. She felt like her stomach turned.

He pointed the gun at her and said, "Tell them that we are getting medical supplies for the Ambassador and something to eat for that little girl. No one moves or leaves this room or you all die." Sakura quickly translated as she was dragged up by Matsurada and started to drag outside.

The slowly exited the building. When they did, Sakura was in front, shielding Matsurada. They were blinded slightly with the lights. There were a lot of lights from the police. Sakura could hear multiple guns readied for fire. She also saw that there were news people around. She felt like it was going to be her final moments.

"We have what you asked! Let the girl go!" A man said, whom seemed to be the head of the operation there.

Sakura bit her lip. She wanted to run but she knew that she had to be strong for those inside. She was their only hope now. She was the only one who could make sure that they were safe and that they understood what was going on.

"Leave the bags there and stay back! Or I will kill this girl!" Matsurada said as he aimed the gun barrel at the side of Sakura's head. Sakura closed her eyes. She bit her lip again to stop her tears from falling. The medic placed the bags as near as possible and left. No one seemed to come near.

Matsurada urged Sakura to walk forward. They walked a few feet then he told her, "Go get it. But if you run I will kill you and I will kill everyone inside." He then pushed her forward. Sakura stumbled a little. She stood straight again and started to walk towards the bags slowly while the barrel of Matsurada's gun was aimed at her head.

"S…stay…back…" Sakura yelled out, almost chocking on her words. As she took each step, she felt like walking towards death. Tears started to fall down her eyes. It took every last bit of her strength to not run. It seemed that the police who had come to help were near and yet so far.

She looked at them almost pleading to end it. When she got to the bags, she slowly gathered them in her arms and closed her eyes as another tear rolled down her cheek. She closed her eyes before finally turning back and started walking again.

The gun was still pointed at her. She was walking towards it. Within a foot or two from Matsurada, he ordered her to stop. He told her to drop the bag on the ground and open it. Sakura was frozen in place for a moment but Matsurada threatened her with the gun. So she just followed. He ordered to take all the contents out. Sakura slowly and nervously did as she was told.

When Matsurada saw the syringe, his mind seemed to think it as a threat. He grew mad and hit Sakura with the butt of the gun hard which made her hit the ground. Sakura could feel blood coming from her mouth. She turned and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the gun was aimed at her and he was about to shoot. Then a gun shot was heard.

(to be continued…)

Again, thanks to Amli who graciously gave her time in helping with the editing of the French part of the chapter ^_^

I think I will have to reserve my comment for this chapter also. Hehe. Thanks for reading this far and extra thanks to those who sent their reviews. Please do continue to send in your reviews. Thanks.

Michiko


	24. Shaoran and Rika

Chapter 24 Shaoran and Rika

Shaoran asked Rika out. He had been silent for a lot of months already. But no matter how he tried to think and rationalize the things that were happening, he couldn't make himself understand. He knew that it was time to confront Rika about it. He had to know. He had to know the truth. The pain he saw from Sakura, in her eyes, in her voice, in her entire being was real. He had been stupid for not seeing it get that far. But since it already did, he wanted to know how it came to be like that. He was told that Rika had slapped Sakura across the face hard and had called her a bitch.

It was hard to accept it. It was hard being told what Rika had really done to Sakura because Shaoran felt that it wasn't her. He hadn't known her to be like that. But how could he deny that fact when Shiho was backed up with Kenishiro, Ryu and Tomoyo? Why would they all lie? Since then, he had started to detach himself a little from Rika, to see the entire picture.

He still tried to be a good boy friend but he wasn't that open to her because of what had happened. He tried to listen more to what others were saying. It was frustrating in a way because people refused to talk about it. The people who really knew what was going on were tight lipped. Ryu, Eriol, and Tomoyo, backed up by Shiho and Kenishiro were determined to help keep the space in between them. Shaoran couldn't blame them. He would have doe the same in their situation. So he did his part by trying to keep away too. He didn't want to hurt her more.

He remembered the time when he had first found out that he had fallen in love with Rika. He didn't need to tell Sakura about it. He remembered that specific moment. He and Sakura were hanging together last November. It had been the first snow of the season, signaling the end of fall and the start of winter. They were drinking hot tea at his place. He was helping her with math. They were taking a break then.

Sakura looked at him and smiled. He remembered feeling confused all of a sudden. He joked her, "Don't do that or I might think that you've fallen in love with me."

Sakura laughed and replied, "Dream on, Shaoran. Besides, how can that happen when you're such a moron? How can I fall in love with someone who can't even admit that he already has fallen in love to his best friend huh? Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You can't deny that fact from me. I know."

Shaoran almost choked on the sweet cake he had bitten off from. He pounded a little on his chest to help himself swallow. Sakura started laughing again.

"What are you talking about?" He then asked as he took a sip of tea.

Sakura gave him a 'yeah right' sort of look. She then elbowed him. "Come on. Admit it already. You're in love with Rika-san." Sakura then said.

Shaoran almost spat what he was drinking but stopped himself and swallowed hard. He looked at her. Sakura was looking at him quite amused.

"It's easier if you just admit it already, Shaoran. It's not like you're going to die from it or something. You'll find it easier to breathe." She said smiling at him.

"Where did you get that idea anyway?" Shaoran asked, trying to keep any trace of nervousness in check.

Sakura gave him another 'whatever' kind of look. She then leaned forward at him and looked at him in the eyes. Shaoran started blushing. When Sakura noticed she started laughing and leaned back. "Honestly it was a guess, well, more of a hunch actually. You're blushing face and actions gave it away just now." She started to say.

Shaoran realized that Sakura had pulled a fast one on him. He smirked. "Fine. I'll admit…I think I like her…satisfied?" Shaoran said.

"Like? Believe me Shaoran that's the understatement of the year." Sakura replied laughing.

"Alright! Alright…you don't have to rub it in." He answered, taking another sip at his tea.

Sakura smiled and asked, "When do you plan on telling her? It's not like she's going to find out if you're not going to tell her. I hate to break it to you but you are pretty much the stoic kind, the one who never betrays his emotions."

"Hey I resent that! If I'm so stoic, how come you know?"

"Ah maybe because I'm your best friend and we grew up together and I know you? Geez. Why do you think?" Sakura answered.

Shaoran smirked at that time. He knew that Sakura was as sharp as her brother. She just didn't know it or rather, she would not like to acknowledge it. He knew that as much as Touya had been gifted with a special ability, Sakura did as well. But unlike Touya, she was more covert about it. Even he, Shaoran, didn't know the full extent of it. He knew that Sakura had this ability of understanding people's inner thoughts and dreams better than anyone. She could easily empathize and understand what people are going through. He smirked with the idea that with just Sakura's smile, it seemed to make people around her at ease. It made them easily gravitate to her and trust her. He knew it was a little stupid for asking how she found out how he was feeling. The question he should have asked was how could she not know. Being his best friend contributed to that too.

"So plan on answering my question anytime soon? I've got to leave soon. I'm in charge of dinner today, you know." Sakura said as she checked her watch.

Shaoran looked at her and grinned. "Come on. Let's get going then. You haven't finished math and you're not going to get away from it that easily. Let's talk on the way and while you make dinner." Shaoran said as he gathered Sakura's notebook and books in one hand and offered the other to her. She sighed but took his hand as she allowed herself to be helped up.

"You always make it about me when it's about you. Just tell her already. Buy some flowers and tell her." Sakura said as they left his house.

"Easier said than done. By the way, it seems that you are getting rid of me right away. Do you think it's that easy?" Shaoran answered.

Sakura started laughing and replied, "If you feel like I'm getting rid of you, that's your problem not mine. And if I wanted to get rid of you, do you really think I'd go to such lengths to push you to another girl? I don't think so. I'd rather walk away. That's more dignifying."

"Dignifying? Whatever. Some best friend you turned out to be, wanting to get rid of me…the shame of it." Shaoran teased back.

Sakura started laughing again as he started laughing along with her. How would he have known that months later Sakura would just do that? She would just walk away from him so that he would be free.

Shaoran could remember that when he and Rika first got together, it was Sakura who was the happiest for them. Everything seemed so different then. Everyone seemed so happy. He could remember how Sakura helped him confess to Rika. She had coached him on what to do. He never felt that stupid because he never courted anyone before and it was a new experience to him.

During that time until when Rika broke up with him, Sakura was really supportive on both of them. She was really friendly towards Rika. She laid back a little from him so that they could work things out. Sakura gave them space but not the distance she went to this time around. Basically, Shaoran knew that Sakura was there for the both of them without fail. He didn't know what went wrong this time since things changed drastically and Sakura was the one who was hurt the most.

Shaoran's mind then drifted off to when he and Rika broke up. He hadn't told Sakura that one too. But just by looking at him, she knew and understood that it was a hard time for him. She hadn't said anything. She allowed him to be the first one to talk about it instead of prying. She did everything she could think of to cheer him up. Not once did she fail in being supportive towards him. The next thing he knew after that was that Rika came back to him to give it another shot while Sakura started to drift away, farther than she had ever been since they were kids and separated for a while.

After many nights of thinking it over and over again, Shaoran finally decided that it was time to set things straight. It was time that he initiate the truth. His methods hadn't been working so he knew he needed to shift gears before it was too late. He would not fail now. He would not waver from his goal. He had to know. That was all there was to it. He simply had to know…to understand. That was it.

Shaoran lead Rika to the park. They walked over to bridge that overlooked the river that flowed through the park. It was past the height of a summer's day. It wasn't too warm nor was it cold. It was only four in the afternoon anyway. Shaoran was determined to have a talk with her. He needed the truth badly. It wasn't like him to let everything slip up and not do anything about it. Sakura had been there for him through thick and thin and had been the greatest best friend she could be for him. It was time that he returned the favor. She was hurting because of him. It was time to set things straight.

"Today was a beautiful day wasn't it, Shaoran?" Rika suddenly said, bringing Shaoran's thoughts back to reality. He nodded. Rika was looking at him with a concerned expression. "Is there something wrong, Shaoran?" Rika couldn't help but ask. She had noticed that Shaoran seemed very distant lately. He refused to say anything about it.

Shaoran was inclined to lie to her and tell her that everything was fine. But he wasn't going to go down that path. He had already resigned himself in finding the truth. It started there. "Rika…what do you have against Sakura?" He asked.

Rika seemed dumbfounded and completely taken off guard by his sudden question. "W-what? What are you talking about?" Rika replied. Shaoran didn't look at her as he leaned on the bridge. He took a deep breath.

"Come on, Rika. We both know that you understood what I asked." Shaoran answered her.

Rika didn't answer right away. "Why? Why is it Shaoran that you seem to care about her more than you care about me?" She said.

"Is that what you think, Rika? You're jealous of her? Is that it? Sakura has been my best friend even before we started school. I cannot simply forget her and not care when I do." Shaoran answered.

"And what about me, Shaoran? Have you heard? Guys at school are even betting that you two will kick it off. They bet that you will still win, sweep her off her feet even if you have a girl friend, me. Ryu and Eriol are already in that mix and you still manage to be part of it. How do you think that makes me feel?" Rika said. She wasn't about to hide the way she felt anymore now that it was in the open.

"For crying out loud, Rika, Sakura is my best friend. What has she done to you? Rumors? That's it? I fell for you because I believed that you have a much deeper and wiser personality than that. You dumped me, fine. You decided to give it another try, fine. You listen to rumors and now you slap Sakura across the face point blank and call her a bitch. She has done nothing but be supportive of us and you repay her by doing that to her…all because of rumors…sometimes I wonder if you are still the Rika I fell in love with." Shaoran exclaimed.

He had gone through it over in his head many times. He was careful to choose his words but still at that moment, he blurted it out in its raw form. He wasn't even thinking. He was speaking his mind. It was about time to do that anyway.

Rika was taken aback. Shaoran's words pierced through her. It was a big slap back to reality. He was right. Even she didn't know who the person who was walking, talking and looking like Rika when she looked at herself in front of the mirror.

"You're making me choose between you and my best friend. But it seems that it was already decided for me. You drove Sakura away from me by making her take all the pain by herself." Shaoran continued to say but then mellowed down a bit. He realized that he was no longer thinking of what he was saying and it might just be a little too harsh.

But then he continued on to say in a much calmer voice, "Sakura and I grew up together. It's not something that we can simply forget and walk away from. We knew that eventually the other would fall in love. It didn't matter because we knew that no matter what happened, the other would be supportive no matter what and still be the best friend, not drive a wedge in between the relationship and cause trouble. Sakura knows better than to listen to rumors and that is why she continues to walk her path even if it hurts. I know her. It was never her intention to break us apart. But you listen to rumors and you try to break us up. What happened that was so bad that made you this way?"

Rika was about to answer when Shaoran's phone began to ring. Shaoran was inclined to ignore it but somehow he felt that there was something wrong. He picked it up and was surprised when he realized that it was Wei calling. He said, "Master Shaoran! I think Sakura-chan is in trouble!"

Shaoran's expression became filled with concern and panic. "What? What happened to Sakura?" He quickly asked.

"You said that Sakura-chan had started an internship at the French embassy last month. The embassy is in a standoff now and as I've heard in the news there are hostages. I've tried calling Sakura-chan's phone to see if she is alright but she isn't answering." Wei said.

Shaoran quickly hung up the phone and told Rika, "Sakura's in trouble. I might not be able to help much but I will be there to give her support at least. I still am having a hard time believing that you did that because of stupid rumors." He then started to run towards the French embassy.

Rika watched in go. She started tearing up. She then said as she watched him disappear, "Why can't you see that she really is in love with you? I'm losing you because you are starting to fall for her…is it wrong to fight for the one you love?" She started crying as she turned around and started walking the other direction.

Shaoran ran. He could feel his frustrations with Rika and all the things that were happening overwhelm him. Rumors. Their problem, his and Rika's, started because she started to listen to rumors. He could bring himself to understand how she could do that. He could seem to comprehend how she turned out so different from the girl he fell in love with. Now Sakura was in trouble. He had to be there. He knew that he wouldn't be much of anything when he gets there but he wanted to be sure that she will be alright. She had already gotten into so much pain already. She didn't need this one too.

When he got there, he saw that there were already a lot of police cars, police and media people everywhere. Bystanders were there too. He then heard someone call out his name. He turned and saw Tomoyo. He could tell that she was really worried. She was with Shiho. He quickly approached them.

"What happened? Is Sakura in there?" He asked. Both of them nodded. Shaoran looked on to the French embassy as helpless as they other two.

Soon, they were joined by Ryu, Kenishiro, Touya, Yukito and Fujitaka. None of them could do anything. They waited there as the police started to negotiate. During the course of the standoff, they all heard a gunshot from the inside. Their insides turned. They were thinking the worst but then forced themselves not to.

Touya and Fujitaka were the most devastated. They all had it bad. Everyone was on their toes and hoping for the best.

After some time, they heard the man shout that he was coming out and that everyone should stay back. They were both relieved and horrified to see that he was using Sakura as his human shield. They watched in horror as every second unfolded. The man pointed the gun at Sakura's head. They knew that Sakura was really terrified but was just acting all strong. The man had ordered her to start walking and get the bags that were left there at front. They heard Sakura shout to everyone to stay back as the man continued to aim the gun at her.

She walked slowly as tears started to roll down from her eyes. They all knew that it was taking every ounce of her strength she had not to run or break down. They could only watch in great anticipation and agony. When Sakura got the bags and started to head back, they wanted her to stop. It was already so near that she would have been safe but she chose to go back and follow the man. It crossed their minds that maybe she was doing that not for her but for those who were inside. But still they were frantic and wished that she had just run towards the police officers instead.

Sakura walked back and then stopped. The man said some things to her. The next thing they knew was that she was removing the contents of the bag in front of the man. One by one she took out the things inside. Then when the man saw the syringe, he seemed to have lost it. He hit her hard on the head with the butt of the gun. Sakura fell on the ground and looked up to see that the man was aiming at her and was ready to shoot. Then, a gunshot pierced the tense environment around the embassy.

(to be continued…)

Hehe been a hell week at school…one exam after the other…one case study after the other…requirements have their deadlines…hmmm…not to mention graveyard shifts at the hospital…hehe ^_^ Well anyway, this chapter was a long time coming already. I just had to do this chapter. Anyway, thanks to those who read this far and special thanks to those who sent in their reviews. They are greatly appreciated. I do hope that you continue reading with me. Please do send in your reviews. Thanks.

Michiko


	25. Aftermath

Chapter 25 Aftermath

Sakura was struck down hard with the butt of the gun. She started to bleed. She looked up and saw the man pointing the gun at her. Her eyes were filled with terror. A gun shot was heard.

Sakura didn't blink as blood sprayed everywhere, especially her. She saw the man was backwards. When she saw him fall, it seemed that all was happening in slow motion. She then felt a strong, reassuring arm around her helping her up and taking her away from there. She looked up and a handsome young detective smiled down at her.

Sakura came to her senses and said, "The Ambassador's been shot. He needs help right away. His granddaughter, Marie, she's diabetic and has gone to hypoglycemia. Please…they need help! They do not understand Japanese. Let me help you." The detective nodded as he let her go. Sakura then led him inside along with other police officers and paramedics. She led them to the room they were held captive in.

When they saw Sakura covered with blood, they were filled with mixed emotions. "L'aide est ici. Ils apportent l'ambassadeur et le Marie à l'hôpital maintenant. Il plus de. (_Help is here. They are bringing the Ambassador and Marie to the hospital now. It's over.)" _Sakura said with much relief and emotion in her voice as the paramedics quickly placed the Ambassador in a stretcher and brought him to the ambulance. Some then tended Marie and carried her outside. Her parents followed. Sakura hugged Genevieve as she just cried in relief. Sakura couldn't help shedding some tears as well.

The detective earlier told Sakura, "I will bring you to the hospital now. We'll have you both checked and patched up again in no time." Sakura looked up at him and nodded.

The detective smiled as he waited for Sakura and Genevieve. He escorted them outside and on to the hospital. Fujitaka and Touya followed after thanking the others for their support. The others just stayed back.

Yukito said, "You guys should be heading home. I'm heading to their house to wait. You are free to join me. But let us not overwhelm her. She did just go through an ordeal."

The others nodded and seemed to understand. They all decided to wait to see her at their house. They just want to see that she was fine.

At the hospital…

Sakura sat beside Genevieve. The nurse had already finished taking care of their injuries. They also had already washed their faces from the blood that sprayed on them. They sat there as the detective who took them there watched over them. He started to ask them questions. He directed the questions at Sakura. When he was asking Genevieve, Sakura translated for the both of them. It was clear that they were both distraught from the experience. The detective empathized with them.

Sakura then heard someone call out her name. She turned and saw her father and brother quickly making their way towards her. "

'tou-chan…" Sakura said as she quickly got up and ran towards Fujitaka.

He opened his arms and welcomed his daughter. He embraced her as she started crying silently.

"'tou-chan…'tou-chan…" Sakura continued to say.

Fujitaka was greatly relieved having seen that she wasn't that badly hurt. He then broke away from her and cupped her face and smiled. Sakura gave a small smile. She then saw Touya. She hugged him too. Touya embraced her tightly.

"'nii-chan…" She whispered as silent tears continued to fall from her eyes.

Sakura broke away. Touya gave her a small grin as he wiped her tears. Sakura smiled a little. She then walked back to where Genevieve and the detective were. She introduced them to each other. Fujitaka shook hands with the detective and thanked him for helping save his daughter. The detective smiled back and said that the real hero was Sakura. If she hadn't been there to help translate, there wouldn't have been survivors.

The Ambassador's son then approached them. He said, "L'ambassadeur est dans la chirurgie et ma fille et épouse sont très bien. Merci, Sakura, d'aider. Vous et Genevieve pouvez aller maison et repos. (_The Ambassador is in surgery and my daughter and wife are fine. Thank you, Sakura, for helping. You and Genevieve may go home and rest.)"_Sakura and Genevieve looked at each other and nodded. They then excused themselves.

Sakura then said, "'nii-chan…" Touya looked at her. She then continued on to say, "'nii-chan, can I borrow your jacket? I just don't want to see this blood on me until we get home. I promise I'll wash it before I return it."

Touya took off his jacket and laid it on her shoulder. He then told her that it wasn't necessary to wash it. Sakura smiled a little and nodded. She then zipped up the jacket to cover the blood.

"Genevieve, irez-vous bien ? Nous pouvons vous apporter la maison. (_Genevieve, will you be fine? We can bring you home.)" _Sakura asked as Genevieve smiled and nodded. She told Sakura that the detective's partner was going to bring her home. Sakura smiled and nodded as an older man approached and accompanied Genevieve. They all walked together to the parking lot.

When they exited, a lot of media personnel were there trying to get some words from Genevieve and Sakura. Genevieve tried to hide behind the detective while Sakura clung closer to Touya.

The detective and Touya initiated the media to step back as they led them to two separate cars. Touya helped Sakura in before getting in himself. On the trip home, no one really spoke. Sakura's gaze was far, looking out the window but not looking at anything. Touya and Fujitaka said nothing. They knew what was probably going through Sakura's head.

At the Kinomoto residence, Yukito got a message from Touya saying that they were going to arrive soon. He relayed the message to everyone. At the corner, Shaoran started to step back.

Tomoyo noticed and asked quietly, "Where are you going?"

Shaoran looked at her and said, "I don't want her to see me right now. You do know what's going on between us and I don't think it will help her much if I stay here now. Now that I'm sure that she is alright, then I can now go."

Tomoyo said nothing as Shaoran silently disappeared. What she didn't know was that Shaoran had decided to stop by the hospital. He had a feeling that if he paid a visit, he might just learn a little more about Sakura.

When Fujitaka rolled up the driveway, Sakura and Touya got out. Yukito and the others approached her and asked if she was alright. Sakura smiled a little at them. She wasn't in the mood to talk. She said, "Thank you so much…and I'm really sorry to have worried everyone. I'm sorry but if you don't mind, I'd like to get this blood off me now. I just want to wash it away and sort of forget it once and for all."

They nodded as Touya showed her inside. Fujitaka thanked them for being there and watched as they headed home. He stood out there for awhile. He looked up and saw Sakura's room light up. He had a sad expression on his face. He had almost lost his daughter that day. He hadn't even realized it that tears were falling down from his eyes. He had been helpless in protecting her.

A few days passed. Sakura wouldn't say much about the incident and just didn't stay away much from home. She would spend her time working on her summer home work. She would leave only on evenings to go to practice. But practice so far had been rough. She was always making mistakes so her coach told her to take the few days off to get herself together. She didn't want her to get injured gravely. Sakura knew that she was right so she went home and helped her brother and father as much as she could. She would give them a smile or two but not talk about the incident at the embassy.

One day, Sakura got up from bed and looked at herself at the mirror. She asked herself if this was the person she wanted to be. She looked hard and felt disappointed in herself for allowing it to be that way. Her family and friends had been worried about her. She could now see why. She had been telling them that she was doing better but her actions were speaking differently. It was going to change. She wanted to be more than the person who she was seeing. She decided. Sakura freshened up and dressed up for the day ahead.

When she went down, her father and brother were already there at the kitchen. They looked up. She greeted them a good morning. They greeted her too. Sakura then got her mother's picture. She smiled a little and greeted her a good morning too. The family sat to eat breakfast.

"'tou-chan, is it ok if I went out today?" Sakura asked.

Fujitaka seemed surprised. Maybe he was being a little overprotective since the incident at the embassy. He nodded and smiled. He then told her, "Everything is as before Sakura. You may go to where you want to. Just leave a note or update your schedule board."

Sakura smiled and continued eating. After awhile, she asked Touya, "'Nii-chan, are you doing anything today?"

"No, not really. Why?" Touya asked.

Sakura smiled a little and said, "I was wondering if you could accompany me to the French embassy today. I don't think I can go there on my own the first time after that."

Touya and Fujitaka were taken by surprise. They looked at her. Sakura gave them a small smile again. She decided to say, "I want to make it right again. I want to move forward. I just figured that it starts there."

Touya glanced at their father who smiled and nodded. Touya grinned and nodded. It made Sakura smile a little more. They finished breakfast and fixed up before they left for the embassy. On their way there, neither Touya or Sakura spoke. Touya could see that Sakura was a little nervous about it. She hadn't been back there since the standoff and he could tell that it was sheer will that was driving her to go back.

When they reached the embassy, Sakura stopped in front of the door. She looked up at the building in front of her. It was once a paradise for her. The reality of her dream. But in an instant, it gave her the full force of reality, the hazards in that line of work.

Touya walked closer to her and said, "You don't have to do this, imouto-chan, if you are not ready."

Sakura looked up at him and smiled. "I know, 'nii-chan. But this won't be easier tomorrow so why put it off? I need to do this, 'nii-chan. But please don't leave me just yet. We are only going to be there for a minute or two. I just need to get this over with." Sakura said which made Touya grin as he extended his hand to her. She took it and allowed herself to be led inside. It was a comforting feeling that Touya was there and she could feel him rubbing some of his strength and courage to her.

"Sakura ! Comment allez vous? (_Sakura! How are you_?)" The guard asked when he saw Sakura.

She smiled and replied, "Bonjour, Monsieur De Bois. Je suis vous remercie très bien. J'ai laissé mon identification ici pendant ce temps. J'espère que ce n'est pas un problème. (_Good morning, Mr. De Bois. I'm fine thank you. I left my ID here during that time. I hope that it's not a problem._)" Sakura answered as the guard smiled.

He then gave her passage. "J'ai demandé à mon frère de m'accompagner. J'espère qui n'est également pas un problème. (_I asked my brother to accompany me. I hope that is also not a problem._)" She added as he smiled and let Touya in as well.

"S'il est votre famille, il est notre famille aussi bien. (_If he is your family, he is our family as well._)" He said before he got back to work. Sakura smiled.

Someone then came and showed Sakura and Touya to the Ambassador's office. They were seated. Soon the Ambassador came out on a wheelchair accompanied by a nurse.

"Ah Sakura. It's nice of you to come. I was getting worried. How are you my dear?" The Ambassador said as he was settled in front of where Sakura and Touya were seated.

Sakura smiled and replied, "I'm fine, Monsieur Ambassador. This is my brother, Touya." Touya and the Ambassador then shook hands. "I came to see if you, your family and Genevieve are alright." Sakura then added.

The Ambassador smiled and said, "Well in a few days I will be heading back to France. I have had Genevieve, Jean-Pierre and his family go on ahead while I fix things here. We thought it best to recuperate back home so I decided to retire. A new Ambassador will be coming as soon as one is appointed."

Sakura gave him a small smile. She then replied, "I'm sorry that I hadn't come sooner. I would have wanted to properly say goodbye to them."

The Ambassador couldn't help but smile. He nodded. He could understand what was going through her head.

"Immediately after the incident, when I had been stabilized, I had told them to go to France. Marie was traumatized with what happened and so was Genevieve. All of us were. I understand why it took you this long to come back. I cannot blame you. Regarding your internship, I have signed it as complete but you will always be welcome here and in France. We do not forget acts of heroism, my dear. I understand that it is your summer vacation. Take the time now to enjoy with your friends and family until you start school again." The Ambassador said.

Sakura nodded and took a deep breath. It was both relief and regret for her. But as she thought about it, the more she believed that it was for the best. "Monsieur Ambassador, I have always dreamed to become a diplomat such as yourself. With what happened, I do not know anymore if I still want to continue. Perhaps this is far talking but I guess I came because I wanted to face it and to thank you, Monsieur, and your family for everything. My time here was truly an eye-opening one and I mean that in a positive way." Sakura decided to say.

The Ambassador approached Sakura a little and said, "My dear, no one blames you for how you feel right now, especially with your dream. You may become a diplomat or not. The decision is up to you. But before you make that decision, be sure that it is really what your heart desires and not dictated by fear."

Sakura looked up to the Ambassador. He smiled at her. She reminded him much of his younger self. Being raised during the second world war where you don't look at the future in years or decades but rather seconds or minutes, he knew how it felt to have gone through seeing people get killed.

Growing up in that environment was the one that molded Philip DeCuis' dream to become an Ambassador, so that the future generations won't go through what he did. He had seen Sakura's true strength and believed that she would be making the right choice. He knew that she would become an ally one day. Yes. He would never forget her dedication and aspiration. She would eventually make her own mark in the world one day. He and France would be waiting for it, for a single young girl in the East was able to help prevent a great tragedy. She was capable of more. He knew that.

Sakura smiled at him and thanked him again. She and Touya then excused themselves to leave as to not take more of the Ambassador's time. Before they left, the Ambassador said, "Before I forget Sakura, please thank the young man who saved my life for me. I believe that he is a friend of yours." Sakura looked at him confused. She didn't know what he was talking about.

The Ambassador smiled and said, "When I was in surgery, it seemed that there had been complications. I needed blood but unfortunately the hospital was running low on my blood type. Luckily, a young man who goes by the name Li Shaoran came and gave some of his blood for me to survive. Jean-Pierre told me that he had asked about you and how you were but ended up saving a life instead. Truly, I personally won't forget Japan's youth. Thank you." He then bowed at her.

Sakura and Touya bowed back. They were really surprised. They looked at each other before going outside in silence.

Touya and Sakura were walking outside. Touya needed to head to work already. Sakura then stopped walking. Touya noticed so he stopped too and look at her. Sakura's eyes then met his.

"'Nii-chan, do you mind if I went to school? Today is the start of the interschool competitions and I want to be there for my friends. I hope that it is alright."

Touya turned to her and said, "Do you want me to come with you?"

Sakura smiled at him and said, "No. I'm alright, 'nii-chan. Thank you. You need to go to work right? If it makes you feel better, I promise to head to the shop right after the games today." Touya nodded as he watched Sakura go her way.

When Sakura arrived at school, the games were about to start. She smiled. None of her friends knew that she would be coming today. She knew that the cheering squad was missing one member for their presentation but she knew that she couldn't join today, perhaps the next few meets. They were all preparing. Sakura smiled again.

She then said, "Do your best, you guys! I know you can win!"

They turned and were surprised to see her. They quickly came to her side. Tomoyo, Chiharu, Naoko, Shiho, Kenishiro and Ryu gave her a hug.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Tomoyo asked.

"Well it was a last minute thing actually. I didn't think I would finish at the embassy early." Sakura answered. They were surprised and dumbfounded when Sakura mentioned the embassy. "Now don't worry about that guys. I came to fix things and everything is ok. I just finished my internship, that's all. Besides, I had to properly say goodbye to the Ambassador and everyone who has been really supportive there." She said.

They looked at each other and smiled. Games were starting soon so they had to go their ways. Sakura stuck with Tomoyo. She didn't have any competition yet. The choir still would be practicing for the next week or two before they head off to their own competition.

Together with Tomoyo, Sakura watched and cheered for her friends. It was somehow a relief to Sakura that Tomoyo decided not to ask about the embassy even if she knew that Tomoyo really wanted to ask. They talked about other stuff.

When the games were over for the day, with Shiho winning a few medals of her own and the basket ball team winning the first of the series of games, they invited Sakura to go out with them for a small celebration party.

Sakura smiled but said, "I'd love to guys but I kinda promised 'nii-chan that I'd go to the shop after the games. I'll take a rain check." She could tell that they were a little disappointed and concerned.

Sakura gave them a small smile and said, "I've never seen my brother or my father so scared before. Even Yukito-san…I think he partly blames himself for what had happened because he was the one who got me the internship…I want to be there for them now…I want to show them that I am alright and that they don't need to be scared anymore."

No one spoke. But they understood what she was talking about. She was right in a way.

As Sakura turned to leave, she saw Shaoran was walking out of the school building. Sakura guessed that his kendo had just finished. He stopped walking and was surprised to see her. Sakura gave him a tired, small smile and closed her eyes before bowing slightly. She then bowed to her friends and went on her way.

(to be continued…)

I'm reserving my comment on this chapter. Hehe.

But I have to personally thank amli for editing my French. Hehe. She was very gracious in offering her help even if she has a lot of things to do, especially now. ^_^ You're the greatest! I can't thank you enough! ^_^ Enjoy China, dear! ^_^

Anyway, thanks to those who read and reviewed. I hope that you won't hold back on reviewing now. Thanks.

Michiko


	26. Shaoran's Decision

Chapter 26 Shaoran's Decision

As Sakura made her way to the shop where Touya and Yukito worked, Shaoran shadowed her to make sure that she was alright. He knew that she had been terrified like she had never been in her life. He couldn't be there by her side and comfort her during her most trying time so he decided to stay back and make sure that she would be fine and no one was going to hurt her before she arrived at her destination.

With the incident still fresh, the media would want to get her side of the story. Everyone involved at that incident had been so far tight-lipped and refused to talk. The only statements that were made were made by the police and the Ambassador.

The Ambassador had asked that Sakura and the rest of them to be left alone and wait for the official statement and report from the police. He had sincerely wished that everything would go back to normal. Shaoran wanted to make sure that Sakura was alright and that she wasn't going to be traumatized further.

Shaoran watched her to in to the shop and sat herself at the counter, where Touya and Yukito were stationed. There wasn't much people that the time. Lunch had finished and people were either at work or out at some mall or beach to cool off.

Shaoran could see that Yukito had brought Sakura a plate of food and a glass of her favorite strawberry shake. Seeing Sakura smile warmly at them made him feel his ache in his heart that he pretty much couldn't explain.

From the distance, he looked. He then noticed that Sakura had her hair down. He noted that she had been letting her hair down a lot lately. It suited her. But then again, no matter how she wore her hair, it cannot hide the fact that she was really very beautiful. Though, having her hair down somewhat brought this hidden beauty he hadn't seen out.

His thoughts came back into focus when he noticed someone enter the shop. Shaoran's mind needed only a second to process who he was seeing. It was Eriol. Since Sakura had her back to the door and was conversing with Yukito, she hadn't noticed him come in. Eriol had walked up to Sakura and covered her eyes with his hands. Sakura touched his hands and removed them. She turned and Shaoran's heart almost sank when he saw Sakura's face light up when she saw him. She quickly stood and hugged Eriol. He smiled at her and hugged her too.

Greetings were exchanged. They all sat back down again as it seemed that Yukito asked Eriol if he wanted anything. They were talking. Shaoran decided to head home. Knowing that Sakura was already safe, it wasn't he could be of much help anymore so he decided to leave.

Inside, Sakura said, "I thought you said you'd be back in two days."

Eriol smiled at her and replied, "Niigata isn't that far. Besides, I told dad that I needed to get back to help a friend. When he found out that it was you, he agreed so fast that the next thing I knew was that I was on a train back here." Sakura smiled a little and returned to her drink.

"So how exactly are you?" Eriol then asked.

Sakura was fiddling with the straw and couldn't help but share eye contact with Yukito. She gave a small smile. She then replied, "A little shaken up to be honest but I'm working on that."

Eriol nodded. Touya then joined the conversation. "You guys can stop worrying now. She's going to be ok. She just been able to step foot at the embassy again. I'm guessing that in a day or two she's back, the same old annoying monster." Touya said. Sakura started laughing. Yukito and Eriol grinned.

Eriol then stood up. "So you ready for dance practice? I did tell you that once I got back, I'll take you dancing." He said.

Sakura gave out a sigh and smiled a little, "Is Mikagami-san going to be there?"

Eriol started to laugh and shook his head. Sakura gave him a smile and stood up, "Good. I'm a little rusty. I'm not in the mood to start dealing with his eccentric ways right now." She said. Eriol grinned and offered his hand. Sakura took it.

Eriol said before they left, "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on her and I'll bring her home safe and sound."

Touya smirked as he got back to work. Yukito smiled as he bid farewell to both Eriol and Sakura. "They are getting pretty close, Touya. It's getting a little difficult to see who Sakura would give her heart to." Yukito commented.

"I already know, Yukito. I'm just wondering when she will figure it out." Touya answered.

Yukito started laughing. He then said, "Well it would be a little amusing how things will start to turn out from here on end, especially since Shaoran saw just how close Sakura is getting to Eriol, not to mention Ryu."

Touya smirked. "So you noticed too huh? Well, right now they both stand on the same ground…confused." Yukito started laughing with Touya's comment.

Yeah. Shaoran was pretty much confused alright. He couldn't quite understand why he was hurt the way he was. He knew that he missed his best friend a lot. He missed talking to her. He missed being with her. He missed her smile. He missed her laugh. He missed having someone understand how he felt, how he truly felt. He missed being with somebody whom understood him for who he really was, no pretense, no walls, just the truth. Not even Rika could fill in that gap.

Shaoran headed to his room when he arrived home. He lost his match that day. He knew why. It was because he was distracted. He was distracted much lately. With all the things that were happening, it was just difficult to focus on one thing. His mind was all over the place and he couldn't bring himself to understand why. Or was it because he was just too stubborn to admit the truth to himself?

Shaoran laid back in his bed. He stared up at the ceiling while the afternoon sun entered his room. It was quiet. It was almost and deafening silence that was there. Shaoran then started to reminisce. He had been thinking about a lot of things lately but now it seemed that his thoughts were the most unsettled than they have ever been.

He closed his eyes. Sakura came to his mind. He started to hear her voice in his mind. All those times that they hung out and talked, hung loose came back to him. He could almost picture her smiling at him now and tell him that everything was going to be fine and that his thoughts and feelings would be settling soon. It wasn't that hard to imagine because that was what she always did when he was in some sort of trouble or feeling low about something. Sakura had always cheered him up. How he wished that she was there to cheer him up at that moment?

Images started to race through his mind's eye. Memories he shared with Sakura all came rushing back. Aside from his mother and his sisters, Sakura was the only girl whom she was really close to, whom he wasn't afraid to be himself around. At first, it started out like that with Rika but as time passed and she started to change, he found himself unable to reach her so he drifted away from her.

Shaoran could remember when Sakura first had a crush on Yukito. He smirked then as he listened to her. He hadn't said anything but he knew that somehow it wasn't going to work out and that it would remain like this 'brotherly love'. Actually he was the one who encourage Sakura to say something about it to Yukito. He could remember her blushing face and her telling him that it was crazy. She said that it was only an innocent crush and she didn't really think that she was in love with Yukito or anything. But because of him, she was able to tell Yukito and moved on after that. She got over her crush and got a lot closer to Yukito.

Shaoran then tried to think of the one time that he saw Sakura really devastated. He was surprised that he found it very difficult. It was just Sakura always had this smile on her face that could brighten up anyone's day. Who could have thought that she was really troubled deep down? Even he had a hard time seeing it though he could usually felt it. He cursed himself that he wasn't able to do that these couple of months.

The only memory that Shaoran had of Sakura completely down was when her mother died. They were very young then. She was four and he was five. That was the only thing he could remember during that part of his childhood aside from when his father died earlier. Even though he knew how he and Sakura have met and played together as children, that memory was the only thing that he could truly remember without anyone telling him what was happening then. Yes. He could remember that very clearly.

Before she went away, back home here to Japan, he had given her something so that it would somehow make things easier for her. Through the years, she had told him that she had lost it. It didn't matter much really since it was just this small thing that he treasured as a child. It had already served its purpose so he didn't mind it being lost.

Shaoran then started thinking of Sakura when they were children. He could remember that her personality hadn't changed throughout those years. She was still very caring and perceptive when it comes to others. She would gladly put other people's interests first before her own. That much about her hadn't changed. She always had a smile on her face that seemed to be very contagious.

But she was also very different now. Before, she would hesitate about reaching for her dreams. She was this shy, timid young girl who didn't have much confidence in herself. She would easily get scared of things and would find herself in tears if something happened that she thought was her fault. As time passed though, she was still shy and timid but it didn't define her now. She had this inner confidence that made her focus on what she wanted to achieve in life, to make it on her own. She was still very sensitive with people's feelings so she would do everything in her power to make sure that she gave a fair ground for everybody so that everybody would be heard. She would give so much of herself without asking anything in return.

She blazed her own path with this fiery passion that Shaoran rarely saw in others. She wasn't afraid to make mistakes and fall down. Rather, she welcomed it and took it as a learning process. If she had hurt someone, she wouldn't hesitate to apologize and try to make it right. She would always weigh the consequences before pursuing a decision.

Sakura became much like her role model, her brother. She would never openly admit it unless circumstances required it but Shaoran had known ever since they were younger that Sakura's biggest role model was Touya if not her father. She wanted to be as strong and kind like her brother even if he was a little difficult to get along with sometimes because she knew that no matter what happened, if she needed him, Touya was always there for her. She wanted to be like that.

Unlike before, she wasn't afraid to take a path on her own and see where it went. Just like the internship at the embassy, it had been a long time dream of hers and when the opportunity presented itself, she just went through it. Now, to have the courage to smile and start to walk among people again in a short amount of time after being hostage and almost losing her life was something that only proved how Sakura had grown as a person. Shaoran was proud of her for that. Though he knew that if she hadn't been that way now, then it wouldn't be really Sakura.

Shaoran's thoughts then drifted to the months that had passed. He remembered lying in bed and hearing his phone ring. When he finally took it, he realized that it was Sakura calling him. She had invited him to go out the following day. She had told him that it wasn't his fault. He remembered being a little confused with her statement. _It wasn't your fault, _she had said.

The day's events then replayed inside his head. After meeting her at the coffee shop, going out to the movie and going to Eriol's concert, he remembered that when he walked her home, she had said it again, it wasn't his fault. She had told him that whatever happened between him and Rika wasn't his fault. She kept of telling him that it wasn't his fault and that he shouldn't worry because things were going to get better and that it was going to be alright.

The next day after that, Rika got back with him and Sakura started to speak to him or acknowledge him less and less. She started to give her energy into numerous things that filled most of her time. It kept her busy that when he would approach her and tell her that he needed to talk to her, she would apologize and say that she was running late and that she needed to go.

Then it hit him…Sakura blamed herself for the time that Rika had broken up with him. He had been so down and out during that time that he hadn't noticed. Shaoran closed his eyes again with so much frustration in himself. How could he not have seen or detected that? She was right. Her feelings never crossed his mind.

He hadn't even noticed how much she hurt or how much she had grown. Watching her skate before when Tomoyo took him to see what Sakura had been up to for a while, it seemed to him that Sakura had just started to bloom into this delicate, beautiful, talented person that he had a hard time reaching already.

He hadn't noticed that the pureness of her talents and dedication made her into this special person that everyone was drawn to with much admiration and awe. He was stupid to have thought that she was just his best friend who was always at his side and not change. How wrong he was to assume that?

Sakura had grown a lot and he hadn't noticed. She started to spread her wings and show the world what she was capable of and he hadn't noticed. Her strength and courage rubbed against every person she met and interacted with, making them believe that they too could reach for their dreams. He had said it once that she was a beautiful person inside and out but at that time it sounded a little scripted and flat. But now, he understood the weight of his words. She was indeed a beautiful person inside and out, no trace of fraud or malice but simply this pureness that made her carefree. It wouldn't be like her to look at herself and boast. She would rather just look at the world and the people in it to see the beauty of life rather than look at herself. He knew that to her, she was just simply Sakura Kinomoto, a simple person who walked among magnificent men and women of the world.

Her smile. Her laugh. Her voice. She gave her best not just for herself but for other's benefit. Now that he was thinking about it, she simply started to exude this radiance he hadn't noticed before. She was letting her hair down a lot lately, walking with grace and confidence without being arrogant or shy. She had shown the world her true self.

Then the truth hit Shaoran hard. His heart was pierced by it. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been. All this time, he was simply hiding and refusing to acknowledge what his heart had known for a very long time. He was in love with Sakura. He was in love with his best friend. Admitting the truth finally to himself, gave this air of relief that it seemed for the first time in months, he could breathe. He basked in the truth that he finally was able to realize. Maybe that was why he was so frustrated with Rika and why he was so distracted a lot lately. There was no other explanation. He didn't simply miss her. He loved her.

Shaoran got up from bed. He was decided. He couldn't keep fooling himself and Rika. They were all hurting and that would continue if he didn't do something to change it. He knew that he was going to hurt Rika but he was hurting her anyway. It was better to break it off so that she could move on and find someone who could really love her the way she deserved.

Without another thought, and before his courage failed him yet again, Shaoran headed to Rika's. He had resolved himself to making things right. Surely he wasn't going to back out now. He walked to Rika's and soon was in front of her door. He knocked. He didn't have to wait long before Rika opened the door. She was surprised to see him there but she let him inside.

"Listen I can't stay long." Shaoran said. Rika said nothing as she faced him. "Listen I-"

Shaoran started but Rika interjected, "Don't say it, Shaoran. I knew this day would come. Please don't say it…because I know…" Rika then stepped forward and held his face with her hands. Tears started rolling from her eyes. She then said, "I am not as blind as you have been. For the past months, I started to see. I have lost you a long time ago but I never stopped loving you. I tried to hold on as long as I can but it seems that this is the best way for the both of us."

Rika then let him go and gave him a small smile. She then said, "Go to her, Shaoran. Tell her how you feel before it's too late. She needs you."

Shaoran said nothing. His eyes could register emotions that Rika saw and understood. He nodded and turned to leave. Before he opened the door and left, he decided to say, "You know, I never lied to you. I did love you, Rika." With that he left, Rika broke down and cried.

It started raining but Shaoran didn't seem to mind. He had to tell Sakura. He needed to see her. He didn't want her to keep hurting herself for his sake. He wanted things to at least get back to the way they were. About from her house, he saw her with Eriol. He had brought her home. She was smiling at him. She thanked him and hugged him goodbye before going inside. Eriol then left. Shaoran stood there at the rain, hadn't been seen by anybody. His heart almost sank.

He decided to walk back home. His mind was racing inside his head. He thought that maybe he was already too late. It was hard. He started walking when he noticed a small kid was running after his ball. He then noticed that he was running to the street. He saw that the traffic light had just turned green and that cars were beginning to drive by. With the rain and the roads being slippery, he knew that it would be hard to stop. Shaoran quickly ran after the boy and pushed him out of the way. Shaoran turned and saw lights fast approaching. Then nothing.

(to be continued…)

Like a few chapters back, I'm reserving my comment for the next chapter. Thanks. Please do review. I would really like to know what you think. Thanks.

Michiko


	27. The Accident

Chapter 27 The Accident

Sakura had met up with Ryu early that morning. They just hung around and went out. That afternoon, Sakura told him, "Hey I have to meet up with Eriol and Tomoyo. They are helping me with my free skate program. You want to come along?"

"Sure. So how is your program doing?" Ryu answered.

Sakura started laughing a little. "It's coming along. Eriol has been helping me a lot and Tomoyo has offered to make my outfit." Sakura answered. Ryu grinned.

"Hey guys! Wait up!" Someone called out.

Ryu and Sakura turned and saw Tomoyo running towards them. Sakura smiled and said, "We were just on our way to meet you and Eriol."

Tomoyo smiled when she caught up with them. They started walking. Tomoyo then said, "I was afraid that I was running late. Got held back at choir practice."

Sakura smiled at her and said, "There's no problem. You're on time." Tomoyo returned her smile as they continued on their way.

Pretty soon, they met up with Eriol and they sat down to have some drinks while they talked. "Mikagami-san is telling me that you have improved a lot but he asked me to tell you that he's stepping you up into high gear." Eriol said.

Sakura smiled and leaned closer to him. Her eyes narrowed a little and said, "Does that apply to you too?"

Eriol started laughing and replied, "Yeah. But your presentation is coming sooner than mine so he's going to be a little harder on you."

Sakura slumped a little and exasperated. She then said, "Great. I wonder what he'll have me do this time? I just hope that it's not that bad because Coach is also getting me into high gear in preparing for both my short and free skate programs."

"You'll survive I promise." Eriol said. Sakura smiled.

Just then, Sakura's phone started to ring. It registered an unknown number. Sakura frowned a little. She felt that there was something bad that had happened. Sakura answered. "Sakura-chan! Thank goodness I got in touch with you!" Came Wei's voice.

"Wei-san? Why? What's the matter?" Sakura asked.

"Master Shaoran got into an accident last night! I've been trying to get in touch with you since this morning." Wei said.

Sakura's face registered shock and concern. "What? Accident? What happened? Wait! Does Aunt Yelan know about this?" Sakura quickly asked.

"No, not yet. I am about to call her." Wei said.

"I'll call her. I'll be the one to tell her. I'm on my way there." Sakura said as she quickly hung up.

She turned to the others and said, "Shaoran's been in an accident. He's at the hospital. I need to go." She stood up as the others did as well.

"Wait! We're coming with you." Ryu said as both Eriol and Tomoyo nodded. They quickly left the building and headed to the hospital.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Sakura quickly made her way towards Wei. Wei stood when he saw Sakura coming. They saw that Rika was there too. She said nothing but was clearly devastated. "What happened, Wei-san? Is he alright?" She asked.

Wei had this sad expression on. He started to explain, "Last night, he got into an accident when he saved this small boy from being ran over. The roads were slippery since it was raining so the car wasn't able to break in time. Master Shaoran was hit and is now being treated. It caused a quite of an accident as other cars had hit the car. Putting that aside, Master Shaoran is lucky that he survived it and is still alive. I am still waiting for what the doctors have to say."

Sakura and the others said nothing. They were really taken aback with how things started to develop. As if on cue, the doctor came to them. He then started to say, "He is alright though unconscious. He does need to have blood transfused into him. He had lost a lot of blood because of the accident. Unfortunately, we are running low of his blood type because of what happened with the French Ambassador recently and also other patients had needed it. The hospital's supply of the blood type is not yet stable."

"Then take my blood" Sakura quickly said without thinking. All eyes turned to her. She stepped forward to the doctor and said, "We have the same blood type. He said so. Shaoran told me before that we have the same blood type. Take some of mine to save his life."

The doctor nodded and told her to wait as he went to go and ask a medical technician to prepare with the basic blood test to check for compatibility.

Wei then approached her. Sakura smiled hesitantly back at him. "Please don't tell Shaoran about this, Wei-san. Don't tell him about what I am about to do." Sakura said as she turned to face him. Wei was surprised with the request. He looked at her but reluctantly gave a nod.

The doctor then called her. As the medical technician was starting to conduct the exam and the doctor anxiously looking on, Sakura turned to the doctor and said, "He doesn't need to know right?" The doctor turned to her, uncertain on what she was asking. "The blood. He doesn't need to know that it came from me, right?" Sakura repeated.

"If you do not want him to know, then we will not tell him." The doctor replied. Sakura nodded.

Sakura got out of the examining room after a blood sample was extracted from her. She left the technician and the doctor continue on the blood compatibility exam. She really didn't want to see fresh blood just yet. After what she went through during the hostage taking at the embassy and being splattered with blood from people who were shot, it was going to take awhile before she got over her new fear of blood.

When she went out, the others went up to her. She smiled a little and said, "They are still doing a little more determining if my blood is compatible with his." She went and sat on a seat nearby. She looked up to them and said, "No one must speak of this to anyone, please. I don't want him to know what I am about to do."

Tomoyo sat next to Sakura and asked, "Why, Sakura? Doesn't he deserve to know?"

Sakura closed her eyes and said, "It is better this way, Tomoyo. The less he knows about this, the better. I know him. Just trust me on this one."

Tomoyo looked at Sakura and exchanged glances with Eriol and Ryu. She nodded. Pretty soon, the doctor came out and told them that it was a match. He then ushered Sakura into Shaoran's room.

When Sakura entered, she stopped at the door when she saw Shaoran just lying there with machines attached to him. He had his eyes closed and it felt pretty heavy inside. The doctor then called her as she looked up at him. He motioned her to the empty bed. Sakura wanted to shiver but she forced herself not to.

As the doctor prepared the blood transfusion machine, Sakura sat on the bed. Her back was towards Shaoran. She saw that Wei had entered the room and so did the others. She looked up at them and smiled a little. When the doctor said that the machine was ready, Sakura then laid back on the bed. The doctor then said, "This may hurt a little when I insert the needle but it will subside." Sakura nodded.

She closed her eyes when the doctor inserted the needle. She bit her lip to keep the pain in check. The machine started to transfuse blood. The doctor then said, "The transfusion has started. I will come back later." Sakura nodded. The doctor then left.

The others stood near the wall as they let the girls sit. Wei then went and stood at Sakura's side. Sakura turned to him and smiled. "You are saving his life, Sakura-chan. You have always looked after him. Why don't you want him to know about this?" He asked.

Sakura smiled again. She then said, "You've got it a little wrong, Wei-san. He is the one who has always looked after me. He makes sure that nothing happens to me. He helps me with school, with life, everything. This is but a small thing I can do for him, after all the things he had done for me. The reason why I don't want him to know is because I don't want him to get attached to me. He might think that he owes me something if he found out. I don't want it that way. I want him to live and be free. He deserves to be happy, not tied up to me."

Sakura closed her eyes and turned to look at Shaoran. He had still hadn't regained consciousness. "Yes, Wei-san. He deserves to be happy for once. He already bears the responsibility of being the head of his family. I don't want him to be burdened by me as well." Sakura said.

Wei said nothing as he was saddened a little. He looked at his young master. Shaoran had truly chosen such a fine young woman to love. She was willing to give everything to save his life and to make sure that he was happy even if it meant staying out of his life and doing things for him in secret. Wei had watched them both grow up. He had known that it was inevitable that one day they would fall for each other. It saddened him that they still hadn't quite figured that one out.

In the silence of the room, Ryu and the others could hear the conversation between Wei and Sakura. Ryu started thinking. He had said from the beginning that he didn't mind standing in the line of fire or even pretend courting Sakura if it meant protecting her from the pain he saw from her and those around her. But it seemed that maybe he was wrong. Maybe Sakura didn't need someone to protect her. Maybe he had just said it because he just wanted to get close to her. He could see her strength. It was the real thing. Nothing could change that. When things started, he liked her a lot as a friend and didn't mind letting other people think that he was in love with her. He would do anything for her as a friend. The only thing now is that…he had fallen in love with her.

It was a painful admission but he truly had fallen in love with her. When he kissed her at the station and told her that he was seriously going to court her, it was the spur of the moment kind of thing to be honest. He told himself to do that because he saw her with Shaoran and it seemed that Shaoran couldn't get the idea that Sakura was avoiding him and that staying near him was hurting her. It was the only thing he knew how to get her away from him. He tried to shake things out of his mind.

After awhile, the doctor came back in. He checked up on Shaoran and then on Sakura. He then smiled at her as he turned off the machine. "He's doing much better now. All we have to do now is wait until he regains consciousness." He said. Sakura nodded as she sat back up.

As the doctor left, Wei, Rika and Sakura went over to Shaoran's side. Sakura stood next to him at the bed. She swallowed a little hard as she looked upon him. Shaoran was always a strong person so it was a little unnerving for Sakura to see him that way. She bit her lip. She had never had a hard time talking to Shaoran before. She couldn't understand why she was being so tongue-tied now.

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then started to say, "Wake up, Shaoran. You can't go on like this. You have to survive this, you hear me. It's not like you to just stay down when you are hit." She paused and looked down.

She then smiled a little and said, "Remember when we were kids, I was seven and you were eight, and I tripped and fell when we were running? The other kids started laughing at me but you didn't. You just smirked and held out your hand. I scratched my knee really bad and I started to cry. You told me that it wasn't that bad and that you get that all the time and you never cry. You took out your handkerchief and tied it around my knee. You gave me a piggyback and brought me to Wei-san. He made it better, do you remember that?"

"I'm not going to start laughing at you, if that is what you are thinking but I am going to extend my hand to you and help you up. I can't make it all better but I am here to remind you that it's not really that bad and it's going to be ok. You are not going to die from this, Shaoran. I remember clearly what you told me when my mom died and we had to move back here to Japan from Hong Kong…you said you are not going to die easily because you are strong and you will be strong for your family just like your father wanted. You swore that in front of his grave so you better not forget."

Sakura then took out something from her pocket. She held it out and smiled. It was a small golden dragon that Wei recognized. "Before I left for Japan, I was really sad. You gave me this golden dragon. You said that your dad told you that it's for luck and you said that I should have it. You also said that we will always be friends. You asked me once where this is and I told you that through the years, I've lost it."

Sakura almost laughed as she continued, "How could I ever lose this when I've always kept it close to me? I know how much this means to you because your father gave it before he died. You gave it to me to make me feel safe and to remind me that I am not alone. I think it's time that I return it to its rightful owner. It has gotten me through the toughest times. I was even holding it during the embassy incident. This time, let it be your guide, the way your father wanted."

Sakura then placed it in Shaoran's hand and held it tight. She was surprised when she felt Shaoran squeeze her hand a little. She quickly looked up. He was beginning to stir.

"Shaoran…" Sakura said.

"I knew it…" He said weakly.

"What?" Sakura asked. "

That you're such a terrible liar…why do you think I never asked again about it? It's not because I knew it was lost…I knew you kept it…" He answered.

Sakura smiled. "Do you have any idea how worried you made everybody? Rika-san was really worried and so was Wei-san." She looked at Rika and smiled.

Shaoran was about to say something but Sakura looked at him and said, "Oh yeah…I've also called Aunt Yelan. She's on the next flight out. Now, be nice, ok? She hasn't seen you in a long time and this happened so chill. Don't freak if she's a little…high strung. I'll try and call her and tell her that you are awake. Consider yourself lucky that it's only your mom coming. Your sisters wanted to come, even Meiling, but Aunt Yelan didn't allow them."

"Sakura…I…" Shaoran started but Sakura hushed him and smiled.

"Save your strength. Believe me…you're going to need it. I have a feeling that by now the Li elders have already been informed and may have their messages all prepared."

Shaoran grinned a little and said, "Thanks for the dragon. It looks like I'll be needing it." Sakura smiled.

"I guess I better be going, Shaoran. I can't stay long. 'tou-chan and 'nii-chan might get worried. They haven't settled back down after you know. And your mom also asked me to meet her at the airport later so I asked Wei-san to look after you." Sakura said as she started to step back.

Eriol, Tomoyo and Ryu then stepped forward. They wished Shaoran to get better soon.

They all prepared to leave. Before Sakura left, she said, "Oh yeah…before I forget…Ambassador Philip DeCuis asked me to extend a message. He said thank you for saving his life. He also said that he nor France will never forget it. He will always remember Japan's youth." Shaoran looked at her and smiled a little. He then nodded. Sakura smiled back and left.

Outside of the room, Sakura closed the door. "You could have stayed there, you know. He is your best friend and a childhood friend. There's nothing wrong with that." Ryu said.

Sakura turned to him and gave him a sad smile. "There are things that are better left alone rather than staying in close contact. Now that I know that he's on his way to recovery, I don't need to be at his side constantly. Things are already complicated so I don't want to complicate it further." Sakura answered.

"Sakura, is there something that you are not telling us?" Eriol asked.

Sakura smiled a little and said, "There are a lot of things that I choose not to tell anyone. It's just a matter of asking the right questions and at the right time."

Eriol laid an arm around her shoulder and said, "Alright then. Does the secret you hold so deep worth avoiding your best friend the way you, even now that he had just had an accident?"

Sakura smiled again and replied, "Yes. But before anything else, let me just say that whatever it is, I plan on telling Shaoran about it. It just isn't the right time yet. It's going to take a while."

"Will you guys just chill? I know what I'm doing and besides, I'm a little weakened after they got some blood. I didn't want him to see that. He might get worried and he doesn't need that. He will need all the strength he has to get better." Sakura then proceeded on to say.

(to be continued…)

I can feel the end coming…well that's because the end is almost there. It's getting near already. Thanks for reading this far and for those who sent in their reviews (you guys know who you are so thanks). Please do continue to review. It will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Michiko


	28. Yelan

Chapter 28 Yelan

Before Sakura left the hospital, she dialed Yelan's number. It started to ring. She wished that she hadn't gone on the plane yet. Tomoyo was already picked up by her body guards and Eriol offered to stay even if he would miss his rehearsals but Sakura told him to go. She knew that he would be getting into big trouble if he didn't go. As Eriol left, Ryu stayed behinf with Sakura.

Soon, Sakura's call was answered. A middle-aged woman's voice was heard from the other end. Sakura smiled and answered, "Aunt Yelan, it's me, Sakura." Sakura could sense that the woman on the other end was relieved with the call.

"Sakura, how is Shaoran? How is he doing?" Yelan quickly asked.

"He's already awake, Aunt Yelan. I've also told him that you are coming. Wei-san is with him now. I'm just going to go home before 'tou-chan and 'nii-chan get worried. I'll be telling them that you are coming. They might even come with me at the airport to meet you, Aunt Yelan." Sakura explained.

She heard Yelan gave a sigh of relief from the other end. She then told Sakura, "Thank you, my dear. My plane is leaving in an hour. I will be there at 10."

"Alright, Aunt Yelan. Have a safe flight. See you later." Sakura said before she hung up. She then looked at Ryu and smiled a little.

Ryu walked Sakura home. "You and Shaoran's mother seem really close." Ryu commented.

Sakura smiled and replied, "We are. When my mother died, Aunt Yelan is the closest to a mother I've got. She's really nice. She even called me all the way from Hong Kong to ask me if I were ok after the French embassy incident. She said that she saw it on the news. She called immediately. That's how close we are."

Ryu gave a sad smile. It seemed to him that all the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. It was a sad reality. "It must be hard for her…having her son study here." Ryu commented.

"Yes. I'm sure it is really hard for her considering that Shaoran is her only son and the youngest. But it was also a family decision to allow him to study here. Shaoran told me once that the only reason she and the Li elders agreed was for him to learn how to be strong and independent. It wasn't like he wasn't wanted or anything but it had to come to that because he, at that time, was going to be head of the family. He needed to be of strong character, wise and everything without sacrificing his humanity. This was the only way since he had lost his father at a very young age. Also, 'tou-chan and 'nii-chan are around here so more or less they could guide him. Just as Aunt Yelan is the closest to a mother that I have, 'tou-chan is the closest to a father Shaoran has. But of course it's not like they sent him here without somehow to truly look after him, Wei-san was sent to accompany and guard Shaoran upon Aunt Yelan's request."

"He's head of the family now so I guess that had helped mold him. The only reason why he stays here in Japan now is because it's his choice. He can make that decision now because he has the power to, even if Aunt Yelan might contradict of course." Sakura added.

"Is that the reason why you told him to be nice?" Ryu asked, almost smirking.

Sakura laughed a little. "No. Not really. Shaoran has a very deep respect for his mother. She could silence him just like that. I just said it because he might be too stubborn to truly listen. Like I said, it has been awhile since she last saw him and with what happened to him, it's only natural for a mother to worry and make sure that everything is going smoothly. Shaoran's the type who doesn't like being pampered. It's not like he doesn't accept acts of kindness or stuff like that but he's not used to being the 'baby', you know…it's a little hard to explain. He always keeps this strong front that it's hard for him to show his weakness."

Ryu then grinned. He then said, "Oh I doubt that very much, Sakura. I don't think it's hard for him to show his weakness. It's just a question of who." Sakura could get where Ryu was getting at. She smiled a little and shook her head. Maybe he was right.

Sakura then closed her eyes and smiled. She exasperated and said, "It would be really nice to see her again. It's been a really long time since I last saw her. She had asked me once to come down with Shaoran to Hong Kong over the summer. Actually that was last summer but Shaoran and I both had extra curricular activities, Shaoran's with kendo while I took on cheering. We both couldn't so she said some other time when our schedules were lenient enough even if it were for a week or two only."

"That's pretty cool. Spending summer or just a week at Hong Kong. Your dad doesn't mind to those kind of trips?" Ryu asked.

Sakura smiled and replied, "If it were another country, perhaps because I'm still underage. But that doesn't go with Hong Kong. Even if I'm Japanese, I practically could have been born there because I wasn't even a year old when we moved to Hong Kong because of 'tou-chan's work. We lived there for years up until 'ka-chan died and we had to move back because the university called 'tou-chan here. Plus, it's Shaoran's family we're talking about. Our families are really close so 'tou-chan doesn't have any reservations if Aunt Yelan asks me to come and visit at Hong Kong."

"You two really have known each other forever. I thought that it was just like this sort of over exaggeration of things." Ryu commented.

It made Sakura laugh a little. It's not like she hadn't heard that comment before. There were just some people who could hardly believe that they were best friends when it seemed that their personalities were complete opposites of each other. If only they knew that they weren't at all that different? But neither of them were really that interested in correcting people's thoughts about it as long as they knew the truth, everything was fine.

"You will like her when you meet her, Ryu-san. She's simply this amazing person." Sakura then commented.

Ryu grinned and said, "If you put it that way, I'm really interested in meeting her. But then who am I to meet her? I think I might be a little too embarrassed to do that." Ryu answered. Sakura started laughing again.

She then said to Ryu, "You and Shaoran are friends. Why wouldn't Aunt Yelan like to meet you?"

Ryu smiled a little. He was now sure that Sakura had never been him. Her heart could not belong to anyone else…but him…if only he wasn't that much of a fool then probably he'd noticed by now. He had to question though, did she know it herself or was she still trying to deny it, hiding behind the 'best friend' title?

They came up in front of Sakura's house. She turned back and smiled at him. He smiled at her and said, "I guess it would be nice to meet the mother of Li Shaoran someday. I'm not sure this is the time but I would love to meet her once you've put it that way."

Sakura grinned and said, "She would like that very much. I can't speak for Shaoran though. You know what he's like."

Ryu smirked and replied, "Well, let's just wait and see how things turn out. Who knows, right?"

"I do. When the time comes, I'm sure it will be just right." Sakura answered him with a smile. She wished that things would simply be fine already. Everything had been very tense lately and it would definitely be a welcome relief if things became much mellower in its course. It would definitely be a welcome relief for her. Yes. Definitely for her and for Shaoran.

Ryu grinned and nodded. Sakura watched him leave. She smiled a little before heading inside. She knew that her brother and father were already home. She also knew that they were probably wondering why she was late. She took a deep breath and headed on inside.

"'tou-chan! 'nii-chan! I'm home." Sakura said when she entered the house and removed her shoes.

"'tou-chan is not home yet, Sakura. He's on his way though. Something came up at the University so it took him a little longer." Touya called out from the kitchen.

Sakura said nothing as she rounded up to the living room. She was surprised to see that Yukito was there. She hadn't noticed his shoes when she came in.

"Yukito-san! Sorry…I didn't notice that you were here." Sakura said as she went over and sat almost next to him.

Yukito smiled at her and then a concern look came to his face. Sakura's heart skipped a beat. Did Yukito notice already that something was wrong?

"Sakura…you seem a little pale…you alright?" He immediately asked which made Sakura gulp. She should have known better. Yukito would easily notice something like that…a task which was easier for Touya.

Touya's head then popped out from the kitchen. "What? What have you gotten yourself into this time, Sakura?" Touya then proceeded on to ask.

Sakura gave an exasperated breath and said, "Shaoran got into an accident, 'nii-chan, Yukito-san. Wei-san called me and told me about it so I dropped by the hospital."

Touya then came from the kitchen and sat next to Sakura. He then proceeded on to say, "Seeing Shaoran hurt doesn't usually make you all pale unless it was really bad or something else happened."

"He needed blood, 'nii-chan. The hospital was running low on supply since the accident was a little big and because of the French Ambassador's surgery. I know Shaoran and I share the same blood type so I offered…well…actually…I told the doctor to get blood from me to help save his life. Don't freak, 'nii-chan, ok?" Sakura finally said. She knew that things hadn't really settled yet after the French embassy incident.

Touya started laughing while Yukito grinned. Sakura was a little confused so she said, "Sorry but I didn't quite get the punch line…"

Touya smirked and said, "Boy, imouto-chan, you've got it bad. That's all I can say."

"Got it bad?" Sakura asked confused.

Yukito laid a hand on Sakura's shoulder. She turned to him and he said, "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon. Why don't you freshen up a bit with hot water to get some color into you? Your dad might get worried if he saw you."

Sakura nodded and stood. Before she left to freshen up, "'nii-chan. Aunt Yelan is coming. She's going to arrive at 10 and I said that I was going to meet her. You want to come?"

"Aunt Yelan is coming? Ok. Sure. I'll come. Let's tell 'tou-chan. He might want to come too. It's been years so I'm sure he would like to come along." Touya answered.

Sakura nodded and disappeared around the corner as she headed upstairs to her room to get her stuff before she took a bath.

When Sakura came back down, Fujitaka had already arrived and was told of Yelan's arrival. He went up to Sakura when she came up the room. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Sakura warmly smiled at him and nodded. She then said, "I'm fine, 'tou-chan. Please do not worry about me…really I'm fine." Fujitaka nodded and smiled.

During dinner, Fujitaka asked, "So Shaoran is already awake right?"

Sakura nodded and replied, "He woke up about an hour after the transfusion. He's a little weak but at least he's already awake. I also already have told him that his mom was coming and that he should consider himself lucky to be alive and lucky that it was only his mom coming."

"Does he know about you giving him blood?" Touya then asked.

She knew that he couldn't resist asking that question. She shook her head and then replied, "I don't want him to know. He doesn't need to know…well…maybe someday but not yet." She then gave him a look that told him you-should-know-why.

Touya smirked. He couldn't help but shake his head. For the rest of the evening, they talked about things and fixed the utensils before they headed to the airport. Sakura convinced Yukito to come along. She had told him that she had told Yelan that he was the one who had gotten her the internship at the French embassy and he was always looking after her. She told him that he shouldn't be afraid or anything. Yelan wanted to get to know the young man who had been so kind as to help her achieve part of her dream.

Sakura and the others waited patiently as the plane arrived. It would be a bitter-sweet reunion. Sakura wished that Yelan came to Japan under different circumstances.

When she did arrive, it was Fujitaka who first saw her. Yelan smiled as she made her way to them. Fujitaka and the others approached.

Sakura hugged her. "Welcome, Aunt Yelan. I'm really glad that you had a safe trip." Sakura said.

Yelan then broke from her embraced and took a step back. "Let me take a look at you Sakura. Why you have grown a lot since the last time I saw you? You look more like your mother now." She said as Sakura blushed.

Fujitaka and Touya then welcomed her and introduced Yukito. Yelan looked at Yukito with wonder and smiled.

"So you are the one Sakura had been telling me about? She had told me that you are like a big brother to her and Shaoran. Yes. She had said many wonderful things about you. It's nice that now I know have a face to go with it." Yelan said as she greeted Yukito.

Yukito bowed slightly and thanked her. He smiled at her. He told her that it was very wonderful to meet her at last.

(to be continued…)

Things have started to shift again. This is the beginning of things to come. Thanks for reading and reviewing until this chapter. I really appreciate it. Please, please do review now. It kinda helps me get into the writing mode. Thanks.

Michiko


	29. Mother's Advice

Chapter 29 Mother's Advice

After meeting up with Yelan at the airport, Fujitaka immediately brought them to the hospital. Sakura led the way to Shaoran's room. As Sakura showed Yelan inside, Fujitaka entered as well as he was invited by Yelan while Touya and Yukito waited outside.

Shaoran was awake when Sakura walked back in. It seemed that his face lit up a bit when he saw Sakura and tried to get up. "I don't think that's such a good idea." Sakura immediately said. Shaoran knew what she was trying to say as he lay back down.

"Well at least you still listen to reason, my son." Yelan suddenly said as she came into view and headed straight to Shaoran's side.

"Nice to see you too, mom." Shaoran replied as he greeted his mother.

Sakura suppressed her laugh. It was like before, like nothing had ever changed. Sakura then felt her father's warm hand on her shoulder. Fujitaka had a smile of his own on his face. Wei excused himself and left the room. Yelan then turned to them and urged them to come forward. Sakura didn't want to come near but didn't have much of a choice when Fujitaka still had his hand on her shoulder and seemed to be guiding her there.

She allowed herself to be led. The last thing she ever wanted was to have her father find out that there was something wrong, much less Yelan. She hadn't seen Shaoran in a long time and she really didn't want her to know that they were having problems.

"How are you doing, Shaoran?" Fujitaka asked as he smiled down at the young man who had been like a son to him already.

"I'm fine, Kinomoto-san. Thank you. I'm doing better." Shaoran answered.

Fujitaka smiled again.

"That's good. When Sakura told us of what happened, we were really worried. We came as soon as we heard and have picked up your mother." He then said.

"I really didn't mean to worry anyone. I'm sorry. But thank you for worrying."

Fujitaka nodded, his smile never faltering.

He then gave a pat on Sakura's shoulder.

"Well then, I suppose we better leave. It's better if you rest and I'm sure you and your mother would want to catch up on a few things. We will visit again, Shaoran. I'll tell Touya and Yukito to make it quick so that you can rest." Fujitaka said.

Sakura then stepped forward and gave Yelan a big hug and bid her farewell. She then allowed her eyes to drift to Shaoran. She froze a little when their gazes met.

"Goodbye…Shaoran. Get better soon, ok?" She said, giving him a small smile.

Shaoran nodded and smiled a little in return. Fujitaka and Sakura then left the room. Yelan's stare drifted from Shaoran to Sakura. She was about to say something when Touya and Yukito entered. They went in to say hello and quickly excused themselves to leave. Yelan saw them to the door. She closed it behind her and bid them goodbye properly outside. She watched them go when Wei came up to her.

Yelan noticed that Wei was struggling a little with the right words to explain to her what had happened and how he wasn't able to protect him from the accident.

"I do not blame you, Wei. You have looked after my son for all these years and I know that the least you wanted is for him to get hurt." Yelan quickly said to Wei's surprise.

He said nothing as he too watched Sakura and her family left. His eyes filled with this sorrow that gave Yelan the confirmation that she needed. A mother truly knows.

"It seems only yesterday when those two were mere children. They have grown up to be fine young adults." Yelan commented.

She then turned to Wei and asked, "Is there something that I need to know?"

Wei was taken by surprise with the sudden question. His mind reeled in the gravity of her words. Truly, a mother knows.

"Madam, it was Sakura-chan who had saved Master Shaoran's life."

Yelan said nothing as she waited for Wei to continue. Wei, feeling that his Mistress wanted more of an explanation, quickly added, "Master Shaoran had lost a lot of blood because of the accident. Because of certain factors, Madam, the hospital's blood bank had ran low on his blood. When Sakura-chan found out, she immediately offered her blood to save his life. She had asked me not to tell Master Shaoran about it. She has her reasons but basically, Madam, she wants Master Shaoran to be happy."

Yelan couldn't help but smile. She looked at the direction where Sakura disappeared with her family. She had always had a soft spot for Sakura. She was like a daughter to her. Finding out what she had done for Shaoran endeared her more to her. It hadn't been long since the incident at the French embassy and Yelan knew that the pain from that experience was still fresh.

She remembered that Sakura had told her jokingly that it would be years before she could bring herself to look at blood again without having to re-live the experience of seeing people being killed or even talk about the subject. But here she was…she openly offered herself as the donor to help save Shaoran's life without any regret or hesitation.

_You have your mother's spirit, Sakura. She could have lived great many years even with the sickness but she chose not to…to save your father's life. She confided in me that it was better that way instead of you and Touya losing them both. You truly are her daughter. _

Yelan turned to Wei and said, "You may go home now. You could use the rest. You look like you've been up for many days on end. Thank you for watching over my son. Take a break, Wei. You deserve it."

Wei gave her a bow and went on his way as Yelan entered Shaoran's room. She saw herself at Shaoran's side. She didn't speak for a while. Shaoran felt that the silence was becoming uncomfortable. Even if it were his mother already, he was feeling a little guilty for worrying her like he did.

"Mama…I wish…you would have gone here for another reason…and not this one…" Shaoran finally decided to say.

Yelan looked at her son. There was genuine guilt and remorse in his eyes. She smiled warmly at him and squeezed his hand.

"Xiao Lang, these things do happen, especially when you save someone. Sakura had told me all about it…why you had gotten yourself into this accident. That was a brave thing you did, my son."

"Mama…I…"

Yelan then smiled and then replied, with a tinge of disappointment in her voice, "But I do have to wonder, Xiao Lang, how in the world you could hurt her the way you did?"

Shaoran was dumbstruck. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He had been wondering about that himself. Ever since he and Sakura talked by the stairway, the last time they actually talked to each other, he had been wondering and cursing himself how he could hurt her the way he did.

"Mama…how did you…?"

Yelan started to laugh a little before she replied, "I am your mother, Shaoran. I know these things, not disregarding the fact that Sakura is almost like a daughter to me. It is not hard to figure out with how you both looked at each other awhile ago."

She then patted Shaoran's hands and said, "But I believe that you aren't as lost as you try to show me now. I believe you already know the answer. You cannot deny your feelings for her."

"Mama, what am I to do? We have just drifted apart without me even realizing it. I've been stupid." Shaoran answered but paused. He felt a little crazy for having that talk with his mother but then again, he knew that his mother would never lie to him.

"Do you think I have a chance? I mean…do you think that I can have space in that big heart of hers?"

Yelan almost laughed as she caressed her son's cheek. She looked into his eyes. He had grown up alright but then at that moment, it seemed like he was this lost boy who was just looking for some hope.

"I cannot speak for Sakura, my son. You have been best friends all your lives. If fate destines that you two take that step, then it will happen but like I said I cannot speak for Sakura. But you should know that you will always be treasured by her in that big heart of hers. She never would have saved your life if she didn't."

Shaoran was stunned. _Save my life? _What was his mother talking about? Sakura had sacrificed a lot for him, for him to be happy. But it seemed there was something else that she did that he did not know.

"It may not be my place to tell you this and this will definitely go against Sakura's wishes but you have asked if you have a chance. Well, Shaoran, when Sakura found out from Wei about your accident, she immediately came here. Now I know that tension between the two of you must have been happening awhile now, am I right? But she still came anyway. When the doctor came and told them that you needed blood, Sakura, without even thinking about it, offered hers to save your life."

Yelan watched her son's reaction. She could tell that it was a big push for Shaoran back into reality. It somehow renewed him…given him strength.

"Offered hers…and she didn't want me to know about it?" Shaoran was thinking aloud.

Yelan looked at him amused. She couldn't hide a smile.

"I was told it was so to ensure your happiness." Yelan decided to say.

Shaoran looked at his mother. His wide-eyed expression made Yelan smile. She ran her hands on his unruly brown hair and gently caressed his cheek. Definitely, her son had chosen a wonderful young woman to love. She was already part of the family even if they didn't end up together but it was inevitable. Since they were children, they had been extremely close to one another. Falling in love with one another was always a possibility every one who knew them anticipated as it only seemed natural.

"Now, Xiao Lang, if you let her go, I will never forgive you. You two have been hurt enough being apart. I don't want you to promise me that you will not hurt her because being in a relationship and loving, hurt becomes part of that too. But I know you two won't hurt each other on purpose. Like I said, if you let her go this time, Xiao Lang, I will honestly never forgive you."

There. She said it. Shaoran had his mother's blessing. All he had to do now was get better and find a way to tell Sakura without frightening her off. Yes. She needed to know. If she didn't want to, well, he will just have to make her and it's her decision afterwards. This time, he will not stand against her happiness and he would put her first before his own. It was his turn to do that.

(to be continued…)

With a new found determination, it can move mountains for a certain someone. Hehe. He already knows that she cares about him that much. But why do some guys just need to have it told to their faces? Well anyway, it really is a complicated relationship, having fallen in love with your best friend. Hehe. Well anyway, thanks for those who read and reviewed up to this chapter. Please do continue to read and review. Thanks.

Michiko


	30. How It Started

Chapter 30 How It Started

Sakura has been practicing since eight in the morning. Having finished her internship already and with the competition approaching fast, Sakura felt the pressure building so she started working double time. She was already a little confident with her short program but her free program was another story. Even though Eriol had composed it according to her personality, actually having to skate it while incorporating some of the dance elements Koji Mikagami had taught her and the things she learned in ballet was really a painful experience.

Eriol had dropped by, wanting just to get away from his own practice sessions. He was exhausted so his father finally caved in giving him a break, even for a day. Eriol thought it best if he could just go where no one would ever find him, at the skating rink with Sakura.

He sat there near the skating rink. He smiled as he watched Sakura skate. When he first saw her fall, he wanted to help her but then stopped himself as he could sense that Sakura didn't need it. She got up on her own. He watched her, taking his mind off the things that he was supposed to be thinking. He didn't notice when someone sat beside him. It wasn't until the man cleared his throat when Eriol turned and noticed that he wasn't alone.

He turned and saw Ryu sitting beside him, also watching how Sakura was doing. "Hey." Eriol greeted.

"Hey!" Ryu answered, not really looking at Eriol.

They then turned back and watched Sakura do her thing on ice. It seemed that she had a world of her own as she didn't mind that they were there. She was more bent in trying to perfect her skills than being shy at the moment.

"So…" Eriol started.

"So?" Ryu asked.

"You're in love with Sakura's aren't you?" Eriol asked point blank.

It surprised Ryu. He didn't see that one coming. And to think that it was Eriol who had asked it…he would have understood if it were Touya, Yukito or even Tomoyo but Eriol? Never in his wildest dreams did Ryu think that Eriol would ask that from him.

"How about you? Are you in love with her?" Ryu decided to say, rallying the question back at Eriol.

Eriol grinned a little as he continued to look over at Sakura.

"It's strange…how a simple girl like her can come at you and stir emotions beyond your wildest dreams? I understand though why everyone she encounters seemed to find this need to protect her. I feel it too. Sakura might strike you as this very delicate lady, full of life, easily toppled down by the most gentle breeze. But as I got to know the real her, I was surprised to find this very strong cherry blossom that no matter how strong the wind is, she just keeps dancing along with it, bring her even farther where she'd been." Eriol answered.

He smiled before continuing, "She is simply amazing. I want her to find the happiness that is fitting for someone like her."

Ryu took in Eriol's words. He felt the weight of his words. It was something that he could not deny. Eriol had spoken of the truth. He could feel his own emotions battling inside of him. It made the pain a little sharper than it had been. It was starting to become heavier as Ryu glanced back at the woman Eriol's eyes fell upon.

"It is true. She does that have that effect on you. It simply is Sakura." Ryu answered back.

Eriol smiled. He knew it. Ryu was head over heels with Sakura. He could see clearly in Ryu's eyes that he was battling strong emotions inside. Eriol could tell that by the way Ryu looked at Sakura, he had already come into terms that he was never going to have her. She belonged to someone else. Eriol had doubts before but now everything was certain.

They both remained silent as they watched Sakura practice a little bit more before her Coach finally gave her a break. Sakura started to skate back to where she had left Eriol. She was surprised to see Ryu there. She smiled at him as she approached.

"Ryu-san." Sakura said as she got out of the skating rink and walked slowly to one of the chairs where she had left her things. Sakura sat down and removed her skates.

"You didn't tell me that you were coming." She said.

"Yeah well it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I said something." Ryu said.

Sakura looked up at him and smiled.

"Coach gave me a thirty minute break. You guys want to talk about something? I just have this feeling that you guys have this certain question burning inside your head." Sakura said as she got some rubbing oil from bag. That was when both Ryu and Eriol that her feet were bandaged.

"You got yourself hurt and you still continue to skate?" Ryu commented.

Upon realizing that they had noticed, Sakura smiled as she slowly removed the bandage from one foot. She then said, "No. These are for added support. I don't know what other skaters do but it really helps me during practice. As you've seen I fall a lot and I can't afford getting my foot broken or sprained so I put some bandage for extra support. When I skate, I forget that I have them on."

"Then what's the oil for?" Ryu asked curiously.

""Muscle relaxation, again to reduce the strain on my feet. Aunt Yelan made it especially for me from herbs she grew in her garden back at Hong Kong. She said that it will help a lot. I've been using it for days now and she's right. It sort of makes me ready to skate again, especially now since I stumble a lot and it gets pretty painful afterwards when you've skated like a couple of hours and have fallen a lot."

"Is Shaoran's mother a doctor or something?" Eriol asked. He noted that with the mention of Shaoran's name, Ryu tensed a little. He smirked inwardly.

"Oh no. She's not. Gardening is just a hobby of hers and she reads a lot of books about plants and herbs and their uses. She told me that that was one of the things she had in common with my mother. She said that they used to do a lot of gardening together back then before my mom died. They were really close friends, you know."

"So your parents were close friends, huh? Then it was inevitable that you and Shaoran would become best friends." Eriol thought out loud.

Sakura started laughing. She then said, "It was part of it, yeah, but not exactly."

"Come to think of it…" Ryu started as Sakura and Eriol's attention shifted to him. Ryu adjusted himself on his seat.

"How did you and Shaoran become best friends? You two seemed two very different people." Ryu asked.

Sakura smiled. It was a question not all that new to her. She had heard it about a thousand times for years. She knew that it was a question thrown towards Shaoran just as much. She was always amused that people saw things that way when the truth was the complete opposite.

With the thought in mind, she couldn't help shake her head. She just continued smiling at them before she finally said, "You'll be surprised if you knew just how wrong that scenario is. We are very much alike rather than what is popularly believed. It's just we were never really that interested in correcting how people thought. It's much more amusing that way." She started laughing a little. She could remember the time when she and Shaoran agreed to just let them think the way they wanted to and not to correct them in anyway.

"Right so seeing people's confused faces is some sort of entertainment to you guys…I'm starting to see you in a different light now." Eriol commented laughing.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh too while Ryu smirked. She then said, "It's not that…well part of it…but it's mostly because no matter how we explain it, they don't get it. So we figured, why waste all our energies trying to straighten out something that is so trivial that it couldn't even pass as important trivia."

"You've got a point. I think I like that excuse. The world would be boring without a little fun in it." Eriol replied with a smirk. Sakura kept laughing.

"So how did you two become best friends?" Ryu asked, there was tinge of sadness in his voice that Sakura couldn't miss. She let her laughter die down as she looked at him and offered a small smile.

"To tell you quite frankly…I don't know. It just happened." Sakura answered.

It wasn't the answer that Ryu or Eriol had expected. It was a surprising revelation. They said nothing though as they just let her speak.

"I've known him forever and well, it's so easy to tell him stuff without being afraid of not being understood and all. I was born here in Japan but I wasn't even a year old when my family had to move to Hong Kong because of 'tou-chan's work. You guys already know that our parents were friends so when 'tou-chan was at work, 'ka-chan would bring us over to Aunt Yelan's house. Both 'nii-chan and I were both too young to go to school so we spent a great deal of time there. Pretty soon a couple of years passed and well…" Sakura started.

She then started to reflect on life back then. A smile crossed her face as she continued, "Shaoran has older sisters. He never had a brother. Of course, Shaoran didn't like to play dress-up or dolls and I didn't want to play with make-believe alien wars or toy soldiers that 'nii-chan was into back then so Shaoran and I ended up playing together. We have only a year in age difference so I guess it was easier for us to just play together. Wei-san said that we loved to run around and play hide and seek, although he said that there were also times when Shaoran's sisters played dolls and dress-up with me. He told me that while I played princesses and castles with Shaoran's sisters, Touya would come around and let Shaoran join in his games as well."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah. That was life back then. Wei-san told me once that Shaoran and I would rather play together at the park where he brought us to. Going on slides. Playing in the sandbox with the other kids. He said that was because 'nii-chan and Shaoran's sisters were starting school so being left behind, we only had each other to play with, not counting Meiling of course. She's Shaoran's cousin. She came around every once in awhile when her parents are in town."

But then her face registered sadness. Eriol and Ryu both noticed it. They wanted to say something but instead held their tongues and waited patiently for her to continue.

"Then Shaoran's father died. At that time, we were both too young to understand the meaning of death. All we knew was that he wasn't coming home. Wei-san, actually everybody, told me that during the time, Shaoran refused to talk to anyone. He wanted his father back. I don't remember what I did but they said that I was the one who got him to talk again."

"Then it was my turn to hold on to him…my mother got sick and just wouldn't get better…she died soon after…I told you before, Eriol, that I never asked what she died from…I still haven't…but I know now…'tou-chan doesn't know…nobody does…I just overheard him as he was looking at 'ka-chan's picture and talking to her after the incident at the embassy. It was the first time I saw my dad in tears and that devastated aside from when 'ka-chan died. He kept apologizing to her for not being able to protect me…he even went as far as saying that it should have been him who died years ago instead of her."

Yeah. Sakura already knew the reason why her mother died. She died saving the love of her life. She was already sick but still she placed her husband's life before her own. Her father had gotten himself into an accident while at work, worrying about Nadeshiko and their children. He needed immediate surgery. The money in Nadeshiko's hands was supposed to be used for her medicines to stop the disease from spreading inside her body fast. Instead, she used the money to pay for the surgery.

"But I was too young to understand then. It became that my mom too had to go somewhere and couldn't come back home. Then, the university called and told 'tou-chan to come back here. I didn't understand why it was all happening…why I was losing everybody…I cried everyday…I didn't want to leave. But it was Shaoran who gave me the strength to believe that it was going to be alright. He gave me his golden dragon, the dragon given to him by his father before he died. He said that it was good luck and that it was special. He said that just like the dragon in the stories Aunt Yelan kept telling us, he said that that dragon would bring much happiness. He said we were always going to be friends. I remember that that was the first time that he truly smiled. I believed him and eventually, it did become better. That's the only thing I can honestly remember at that part of my life. Everything else is just fuzzy and told by others…all except that."

Eriol and Ryu were as silent as ever. Ryu felt his heart crush inside of him. He was right all along. Sakura could never belong to her. He couldn't compete with that. Whenever Sakura found herself in the most trying of times, it was always Shaoran who got her through. He heard her say that even through the embassy incident, it was Shaoran's dragon that kept her together. Shaoran. The truth pierced through him like ice.

Eriol could tell what was going through Ryu's head. It was a good thing that Sakura wasn't looking at them but rather on the ice or she would have seen right past Ryu. Eriol elbowed Ryu to snap him back into reality. Ryu turned to him quite surprised. Eriol gave him a look that told him 'not yet, she'll know.' Ryu seemed to understand as he gave him a nod.

"I guess that was when we started to be best friends without even realizing it. We've been close ever since, especially after he moved here." Sakura said as she smiled a little. She looked at Eriol and Ryu. She judged their expressions and their silence.

Sakura could vaguely see what was unsaid. Her eyes registered this sadness that she didn't want the others to see so she just bowed her head and decided to put on her skates again. She told herself that once she held up her head again, she would put on this mask that she had already been accustomed herself in wearing, to keep others from seeing. She didn't utter another word.

(to be continued…)

With 8 chapters left, the cloud is about to lift. Well it's going to be a life-changing experience for all of them. Be careful because you might not just know what hit you. Hehe. Thanks for reading and reviewing this far. I hope that you continue reading and reviewing. Thanks.

Michiko


	31. Defeat

Chapter 31 Defeat

As Sakura went back to practice, Eriol decided to talk to Ryu. It was something that he needed to hear. Eriol wasn't sure if he was the right person to say it but he had to try.

"Dude, you have to tell her." Eriol suddenly said when he was confident that Sakura wasn't going to overhear their conversation.

Ryu turned to him. He said nothing.

Eriol took a deep breath and continued on, "She deserves to know how you feel. I can't speak for her but I think she's not so dense about that sort of thing. On the contrary, I think she has a firm grasp on the situation. It's just I think she doesn't know where she stands I mean…you know her. She doesn't like hurting people. You have to say something and maybe you both will know where to move from there."

Ryu understood where Eriol was getting at. He wanted to lose it and be angry at Eriol. It wasn't his business in the first place. But Ryu couldn't deny the fact that Eriol had spoken of the truth. Sakura did deserve to know the truth. After everything that has been happening to her, she was the one person who deserved the truth among all of them. Eriol was right.

Ryu smirked. Eriol noticed.

"You know, when she first entered high school and I saw her around campus, the first thought that came to my mind was that she's really pretty. I didn't even know her name. Just looking at her, I knew that she was someone different. She stands out from the crowd. I doubt that she would ever get lost in a sea of people. People would always have a way to find her." Ryu started to say. Eriol listened patiently.

"Then I saw Shaoran come up to her just like that. I saw her smile light up as they started talking. Soon, Tsukishiro-san and Kinomoto-san joined the two. That was when I found out that she's the younger sister of Kinomoto Touya and best friend of Li Shaoran. I thought…damn…I wonder if she could ever find a boy friend with all those men around her? They were obviously very protective of her even if they beg to differ. I then thought that she was this stuck up person, unapproachable and simply a league higher."

"Boy was I proven wrong when she got elected into office as the student council secretary? When I met her, just by looking at Sakura's smile, listening to how she spoke and watching how she moved, I realized that she wasn't at all like what I expected. She's this down-to-earth person whom I could easily trust and talk to. She always had a smile ready that it felt like everything was going to be just fine, even without her saying anything. She also joined the cheerleading squad. And just like her brother, she's one of the top students in her class, only to find out later that she had trouble with math…and it was always Shaoran who tutored her. I thought, wow! She's simply amazing! She's being herself, enjoying life and such a valuable friend." Ryu continued.

He paused as he forced a smile. "Yeah I know what you mean…you know with what you said earlier that everyone seems to find this need to protect her. If there was really another way, I wouldn't tell her. She doesn't need more complications than what she already has now."

Eriol nodded. He then glanced back at Sakura, "It's your call, Ryu-san. But a bit of advice…the longer you put this off, the harder and more painful it's going to get. I'll be at the dance studio in case Sakura looks for me." Eriol then decided to leave. He took one last glance at Sakura and then at Ryu before he finally left.

Ryu sat there, thinking about what Eriol had left him with. Ryu shook his head. He can't quite come into terms that it had to be Eriol to tell him out right what he already knew. It was bound to happen anyway but Ryu just couldn't believe that Eriol was the one to say it first. He knew that Eriol and Sakura had become really close. He always thought that Eriol was in love with Sakura, but then, Ryu started thinking. Maybe their relationship was different and that Eriol also knew who Sakura's heart really belonged to.

How in the world was he going to tell Sakura now? His mind scrambled for an answer. There was no doubt that it was the right thing to do but it wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do. How can you tell the one person who means the world to you that she isn't more than a friend? How can you push away the one person who taught you how it is to love? How can you deny to yourself how you really feel? How do you convince yourself to not feel anything more than friendship when you're head over heels for her? How can you lie to yourself that she doesn't mean anything to you? How can you swallow the fact that she will never be yours?

Ryu's heart wanted to burst. He never, in his wildest dreams, intended to fall in love. He was content being friends with Sakura. He was content with just being by her side and being there to hear her out if she needed him. When did it change? When did his heart start beating more for her? He wanted to get angry at her for making him feel that way but he knew that he was just being stupid. How could he ever blame Sakura? She never asked him for anything. She only gave her everything to help him out. She was just being Sakura.

As Sakura was wrapping up with her practice, Ryu felt himself wonder…what it was that she hid behind that smile of hers? Through everything that had been happening, she still managed to smile and that was one of the reasons he fell for her in the first place. She seemed this very simple and transparent person but yet so complex and mysterious. Behind all the sacrifice that she had been making, there must be a part of her that just hates it. Was she really that good?

Ryu was so absorbed with his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that Sakura had already skated back to where he sat and had asked him where Eriol had gone to.

"Ryu-san? Are you ok? You seem…out." Sakura said smiling as she sat and removed her skates. Ryu looked at her and apologized.

"So, Eriol left already?" Sakura asked again as she continued fixing her stuff and placed her shoes on.

Ryu took a deep breath. It was now or never. He better do it before he loses the nerve to. "Eriol headed out. He said that he'll be at the dance studio if you wondered where he went." Ryu answered.

Sakura smiled and gathered her stuff. "You two seem really close…you and Eriol I mean." Ryu commented.

Sakura looked at him and smiled again. She then said, "Yeah. I know. He's just real…that's all. I'm not saying you're not or the others are not but I never expected that we'd have a lot of things in common. He readily gave his trust to me even before he met me and as I got to know him, I was really surprised that he's this normal guy. With him, I feel like I can hang loose. It's different."

It was like another stab inside Ryu's heart. He can't even surpass Eriol inside that big heart of hers. Sakura seemed to notice so she quickly said, "Everybody is different, Ryu-san. We can't actually compare one person to the other because we all have our different sides."

"It's not really that." Ryu replied as he smirked. He then looked at her.

At first he was afraid to look into her eyes because he feared that he would just get lost inside them but took the chance anyway. With what he saw, he couldn't help but smile. He saw that she was genuinely fearful in hurting him aside from what he could only guess what. He stopped walking and turned to her fully. Sakura looked at him, not saying anything.

"Why is it that you always think of others first before your own? Don't you get tired of it?" Ryu suddenly burst out, not really angry or anything but he wanted to ask it for so long.

Sakura was taken aback with the sudden question. She looked into his eyes and saw that he was serious with the question even if he tried to cover the statement with a little bit of humor. "You're wrong, Ryu-san. The fact that I am selfish is the reason why I try my best to put things into perspective and try to see the whole picture." Sakura replied after contemplating awhile.

"Selfish? Since when have you been selfish?" Ryu asked. Now he was the one who was taken aback.

Sakura laughed a little with no humor with it. She tried to lighten up the mood. She didn't know how things were turning out at that point but she knew that it was going to be another hurdle that she would have a hard time evading unless she goes through it. "Come on, Ryu-san, everyone has that part inside. I have this thing…I've been pretty much been sheltered and taken cared of my entire life so a part of me wants to be the one to take charge for once…you know…take control and take care of the people I love or those around me for a change. That desire has made me have this tunnel-vision where I could only see one thing…one goal…that I lose sight of other things that should be equally important. And because I want so much to see that through, I hurt people unintentionally and in a way that makes me selfish. It's what got us into this mess in the first place, Ryu-san, and I know that you know that. It was my decision that brought about all of this. It's not so 'noble' or 'great' as you think."

"I never thought that you feel that way." Ryu commented.

Sakura smiled at little at him and replied, "All the time, Ryu-san, all the time. Since I know that truth, I try my best to counter it but by doing so, I still end up doing it. There are always two sides to everything." She paused for a while before looking into his eyes and continuing, "Just like how this all feels like I'm using you to run away."

Ryu saw this intense remorse and guilt in her eyes. He never really thought that she felt that way. He had been resolved in telling her the truth but it seemed that he was being tongue-tied now after what Sakura had said. All he wanted was to take her in his arms and tell her that it wasn't like that. It had been his choice too. Even if there wasn't any formal agreement, their actions spoke for them.

But who was he kidding? He couldn't take her into his arms. He couldn't. He knew that her heart did not belong to him. He couldn't make it all better unlike Shaoran. She didn't feel the same way he felt about her. Sakura did care for him but it was only as a friend. She could never give him the same love that he was ready to give her. He knew that she loved Shaoran and he didn't need any verbal confirmation about that. That is what made this whole situation worse…he knew the truth but he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it out.

"You may feel like you are using me to run away but I _chose_ to be here by your side. This is not your fault. You said so yourself. There are always two sides to everything. This whole thing isn't your fault. This happened because we all had something to do with it. It is all our choices combined so don't go blaming yourself. We are all burdened by this equally because we _chose _to walk this path." Ryu replied as he caressed Sakura's cheek. He wanted too much to get through to her that he hoped his simple gesture was enough.

He then gave her a sad, empty smile. He then decided to say it, "I guess this is it, Sakura. I have lost already and I am not afraid to admit it."

Soft tears slowly escaped from Sakura's eyes. She knew she was right. She had hurt him a lot. Ryu wiped her tears with his thumb. He smiled at her again.

"I'm so, so sorry, Ryu-san…I never wanted to hurt you…I can see…I can feel…your feelings are real…"

"More than you'll ever know, Sakura."

"I just…I just don't understand…how I can hurt the people around me…I always end up like that…"

Ryu cupped her face and made her look into his eyes. He kept her gaze to make sure she understood. "Don't blame yourself. I have the greatest respect and admiration of you because of the character you hold. Because of that, when I saw your pain, I told myself that I would do everything in my power to shield you from it. I keep telling people that I didn't mind standing in the line of fire just to make sure that you are alright…that you are protected. You're just this very special person to me that made me want to protect you."

Sakura's eyes registered disbelief but Ryu kept her there. She needed to hear it from him. She needed the truth just like Eriol had said. "It started out that way. But then I finally saw that it is not me who can take that pain away. I will never be able to. You are strong and can stand up against whatever pain that comes your way. But the reassurance and the real comfort that you need from someone can only be filled by one person…the person you gave your heart to. So when I realized that I have deep feelings for you, I knew that I have to let you go. This is not your fault. This just happened."

Tears started falling more. _Oh God…I've hurt him this much…_ Sakura didn't know what to say. She could sense it…sense the emotions inside of Ryu but she never expected it to hit her that hard. It was like a big slap in the face. He was right. It wasn't anyone's fault. But she truly wished that she could have at least spared him from much of the pain he was saying now.

"I'm sorry, Ryu-san…I never really wanted to hurt you…I wish I could take away that pain but I know I can't…"

"It doesn't matter now, Sakura. It happened and it will eventually heal. As long as you are happy, then I am content because I know I did the right thing. I just hope that no matter what happened, we would still be friends."

Sakura looked up at him and smiled. "We will always be friends, Ryu-san. When you find the girl who can love you the way you deserve, I would be the happiest for you. You deserve so much better. I hope it doesn't get awkward between us or anything like that. I'm really sorry."

Ryu grinned and hugged her. She didn't mind. She hugged him back. After wiping some of her tears, Sakura smiled at him. Yeah. They were friends.

XxXxXx

Eriol was practicing some of his dance routines when Sakura arrived and sat at the sides near the door. She smiled at him as she sat and watched him. Eriol decided to have a break. He wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place but he knew that Sakura would need someone to talk to after she and Ryu really talked. He knew that there was a possibility that she would have headed to Tomoyo or Chiharu or Naoko but he stayed there anyway just in case she did come. He wanted to be there for her.

He sat next to her. "I thought you said your dad gave you a day off? How come you're practicing?" Sakura said.

Judging from her voice, Eriol knew that Ryu had indeed told her the truth and she was bothered by it, being Sakura. "Well it helps clear my mind sometimes. I thought why not come here…so…what's on your mind?"

Sakura smiled a little and said, "Onions."

"Onions?" Eriol asked confused and amused. He laughed a little.

"Yeah. You know when you cut an onion, it makes you cry. So you try and place it under running water so when you cut again you won't cry but then again after a while it stings your eyes again? I sort of feel like that…you know I hurt people and I try not to and people tend to just go with the flow but in the end I still hurt them anyway." Sakura replied.

"Onions?" Eriol asked again, still amused.

"Hey you asked! It's not my problem if you find it weird because I find it weird to and well it just ran off the tip of my tongue."

Eriol started laughing. Sakura smiled but after awhile buried her face at her knees. She exhaled a little sharply. Eriol laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder as Sakura started crying. Eriol sat a little closer at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tried to comfort her a little. He didn't say anything.

(to be continued…)

Ok this was like the hardest chapter to write out of the entire story so far. It took me two weeks to actually finish this. It's a good thing that I finish a couple of chapters before posting or else I wouldn't have posted anything. This fic only has a couple of chapters left and I can assure you that you won't know what hit you. Hehe. Thanks for reading this far and for those who reviewed, I really appreciate it. Please do continue sending in what you think and I hope to get to be with you guys until the end. ^_^ Thanks.

Michiko


	32. The Talk

Chapter 32 The Talk

'_Shaoran, we need to talk. Meet me tomorrow at 8 at Central. It's been more than a month since your accident so I know you can leave now. We really need to talk. –Ryu' _

XxXxXx

After Sakura calmed down, she finally broke off from Eriol. "I'm sorry. It's just overwhelming. I don't usually cry like this in front of people." Sakura said as she tried to regain her composure.

Eriol handed her his handkerchief. She thanked him and accepted as she wiped her tears. "Hey I'm not really good at making people feel better but if you need me, you know I'm here for you, Sakura." Eriol said making Sakura smile.

Sakura held the handkerchief in her hand and had her eyes there. She wanted to tell him what had happened but didn't exactly know the right words to start. Eriol waited for her patiently. "Hey Eriol…if I told you that I am such a bad person, would you believe me?" Sakura said.

"No."

Sakura gave him a small smile and asked, "Why?"

"Because you are Sakura and I've seen how much of yourself you give for others to benefit while aiming for your dream."

She exasperated and hugged her legs, resting her chin on her knees. "I am not that good of a person, Eriol. You make me sound like some 'martyr' or 'saint' or something. I'm not. So why won't you believe me?"

Eriol leaned against the wall and looked at her. He couldn't help but grin. "Sakura, you have taught me to always see the goodness in other people. You taught me that it is better to look for people's good qualities than seek and dwell on the negative ones. Yeah. It's true that no one is perfect. Hey no one is right all the time as much as no one is wrong all the time. It's not a question if I believe you or not. I think it's more on about perspectives. I have mine and you have yours."

"I guess you're right. I just feel so bad, Eriol, you know. I feel this guilt and remorse and confusion and all of that…I just feel so, so bad. The person who I usually turn to and talk about this with is Shaoran and I can't just go to him right now about this. I'm sorry. I just needed someone to talk to that's all."

"I'm really honored that you chose me, Sakura. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll always be here to listen."

"Thanks." Sakura said as she paused. She contemplated on her next words. She had kept it all hidden for such a long time that it felt weird saying it. The last time she had actually said it was when she broke down in tears in her room when her brother confronted her months back. She decided to go and deal with what had happened. That was easier by a mile.

"It's Ryu-san…"

With that Eriol knew that she was genuinely affected with the sudden turn of events. It confirmed in him that she was indeed very sensitive when it came to others' feelings. He hadn't met any one like that before. It sure was a big revelation in a way. It's different when others were telling it to him than actually seeing it for himself.

As for Ryu, Eriol knew that it was probably the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. He could only guess how Ryu was feeling at the moment. He knew that what Ryu felt was very real. He saw it in his actions and the sadness in his eyes was really hard to miss back at the skating rink. But Eriol knew that it was the best thing to happen given the circumstances. Having the truth was always better than being left in the dark. He should know. If he hadn't given Sakura the chance to get to know the real him, Hiiragizawa Eriol, then she wouldn't have trusted him the way she did and he wouldn't have found his first real friend.

"He confessed to me before I came here. And I really feel bad because I can't give him what he needs from me. I don't know but I just…I don't have the same feelings…I wish I do so that maybe he wouldn't be hurting so much right now but I just can't…I don't know why…it feels like I'm afraid to but then again…I think it's more because I'm not ready. And what makes me feel so awful is that he knows that and he did the hardest thing of admitting it and letting it go. We're friends, yes, up to now…but I really…what bugs me is that I can't shield him from the pain. I've been failing at that task for months now."

"Ok let's start sorting out how you feel. I know you're confused, you said it yourself but I think things are going to be easier to deal with if you know exactly how you feel." Eriol suggested.

This whole thing was new to him. No one has ever made him a confidant before. No one had ever trusted him that much without any hidden agenda somewhere. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing but he had to try. She came to him for help and he was determined to do just that.

"I can understand that you feel bad for hurting Ryu-san but it's not your fault, is it?" Eriol then said.

Sakura smiled a little and said, "What's funny about this whole scenario is that that was also the line Ryu-san told me…that it's not my fault and that it just had to happen, that's all."

"Ok. So that we are on the same page, I'm saying for the record that I know you are very sensitive when it comes to other people's feelings but don't you think that it is going to make him feel worse if he saw that you are blaming yourself for what had happened? He did say that it isn't your fault. He's even has a point that this just had to happen. No one asked you or him for things to turn out the way they did." Eriol pointed out. It made Sakura think. Eriol did have a point and that was exactly what Ryu had said, well almost exactly the same thing.

"If you are not ready for that sort of thing as you say, then it's ok. If you are afraid, that's ok too. But it's not like you to let fear get in the way. But are you sure that that is what you really feel or is it because you are already in love with _someone _else?" He then proceeded on to say.

Sakura was surprised with Eriol's statement. In love with someone else? She hadn't even thought of that. So much had been happening lately that she hadn't exactly taken the time to sort out how she really felt.

"In love with someone else? Hate to burst your bubble, Eriol, but I don't think so."

Eriol smirked and said, "Really? From where I'm standing it's really not that hard to see."

"Come on. Like I had the time to actually fall in love. For the past months I've been pouring my energy into a lot of things, mostly in trying not to get myself into too much trouble, and now I ended up just there…in deep trouble where it seems a lot of people are involved. I didn't actually have the luxury of time to come into terms with romantic feelings."

"I just have one word for you." Eriol then said.

Sakura looked at him and asked, "Which is?"

Eriol grinned and looked at her straight in the eyes "Denial."

She shook her head. Denial. Right. "I told you I am confused where exactly does denial come into play?"

"Because you are stubborn, you choose not to see what is already in front of your face. That, my dear, is called denial, which leads us to your confusion. Think about it. You wouldn't be confused about your feelings if you didn't have any feelings to speak of. If you aren't in love, you wouldn't actually be asking yourself if you are in love or not. Just 'fes up already, Sakura. It's just the two of us here. No one is really listening but me. I might be able to help you out."

XxXxXx

It was almost eight, Ryu was waiting at Central. He wasn't sure if Shaoran was actually going to show. He took the chance and waited. He really needed to get to talk to him. Things had been a little rocky in their friendship since the whole station incident. A lot of things were going through his mind at the moment. He couldn't get the picture of Sakura crying the night before out of his mind. He had made her cry. The worst part about it was that he knew the real reason for her tears. It was the right thing to do though as much as what he was doing now was the right thing too.

"Hey." He then heard Shaoran say when he arrived and stood in front of Ryu.

Ryu straightened out and replied, "Hey. I didn't think you'd show."

"Yeah. At first I wasn't going to but then I thought that it sounded a little urgent. What's up?" Shaoran asked, his face not betraying any emotion.

"Come. Follow me." Ryu said as he started to lead the way. Shaoran didn't exactly know what Ryu had inside his head but he followed anyway. They walked in silence. When Shaoran realized where they were heading, he suddenly stopped walking. Ryu noticed so he turned to him.

"I thought you wanted to talk." Shaoran said.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk. But you're not stupid as to not know what I want to talk to you about. Come on. I know you want to see her. She's busy with practice until her competition. So come on." Ryu said. Shaoran said nothing as he followed him inside.

They sat at the bleachers, much like the same distance last time Shaoran was there with Tomoyo. They could see Sakura practice. Eriol was there too and surprisingly her coach wasn't there. She had probably given Sakura a day off but Sakura being Sakura chose to practice anyway. They watched her in silence for a while.

They heard Eriol shout, "You're doing great. It's just like the practice we had last night, only this time it's on ice. You can do this jump, Sakura! Do it for Shaoran!" Both men watching from the bleachers were stunned.

Sakura tried the jump but then slipped and fell near the edge. She sat on the ice for awhile, trying to pass the pain. "Eriol! It's not helping! For the record, that fall was one of the worst I've had. It hurts like crazy you know." Sakura answered back.

Eriol started laughing. Sakura tried to use the edge as leverage to get herself up. "How about Ryu-san then?" Eriol then said, teasing Sakura. She slipped and fell on her knee.

"Hey! Quit with the name calling, Eriol! It's not helping big time! I think I'd want to get to the competition in one piece if you don't mind." Sakura answered back as she tried to get up again. Eriol started laughing again. Shaoran and Ryu wanted to laugh hard too. That was classic. Sakura started to skate again and prepared herself for the jump.

She was about to jump when Eriol said, "How about your brother? Yukito-san?" Sakura fell short on that jump too as she landed on her bottom again.

"Are you trying to make me fall or what?" Sakura said.

Eriol grinned and said, "Hey! It's not the name calling that's your problem. You can do this routine. You can do it on dry land, why can't you do it on the ice? You know this. Just have fun with it. Zone everything out and just concentrate while having fun."

"Right, like that is easy to do. I think my nerves are getting to me." Sakura said as she stood up.

"Sure looks like it. But this is just the same as when you do cheer leading. It's not so different. I know it's scary especially if it's your first time flying solo but it's never going to be easy if you don't have fun. Trust me on this one." Eriol answered.

Sakura smiled and replied, "Alright. I'll give it a try again. Thanks, Eriol."

From the distance, Shaoran smirked. It wasn't like Sakura stayed down when she fell. He knew that. Ryu noticed. He decided it was time that they talked. Ryu then started, "If you let her go this time, I promise you I won't return her to you anymore."

Shaoran was stunned with Ryu's sudden statement. Just like that he knew where he stood and what this whole thing was about. He looked at Ryu. Ryu smirked at him. "I don't need to tell you how special she is. You already know that so don't screw up this chance, Shaoran. You know what she's been through and you are the only one who can make it all better. I can never take your place in her heart."

"Why are you doing this?" Shaoran couldn't help but ask. It was so sudden. One minute, Ryu was so adamant in protecting Sakura from him and then the next thing he knew, Ryu was surrendering.

Ryu grinned and looked at the girl dancing on the ice. He then said, "Because she needs you as much as you need her. I thought I can shield her from pain but I realized that I can't exactly do that. You experience the most hurt from the person you love the most. I've seen her strength but she still needs you, Shaoran, not me."

He then glanced at Shaoran a little and said, "But like I said, if you screw up this chance again, I will never return her to you. Got it?"

Shaoran smirked.

(to be continued…)

6 chapters to go. The end is very near. Thanks for reading and reviewing this far. I hope that you continue to support this fic up to the very end. Thanks.

Michiko


	33. Match Makers

Chapter 33 Match Makers

"I still can't believe that Sakura did all that for me." Shaoran commented. They had been talking about things and their conversation inevitably drifted towards Sakura's direction.

"What's Sakura's favorite flower?" Ryu asked.

"Why?" Shaoran answered.

"Just answer it will you?"

"White rose. Now will you tell me what's going on?" Shaoran then said.

Ryu grinned at him. "Nothing. I just wanted to know. Don't worry. I'll help you. Just sit back and trust me." He said. Shaoran eyed him suspiciously. He knew that something was up. He said nothing.

XxXxXx

"Tomoyo? Is Sakura with you?" Eriol asked when he called her.

"Yeah. Why?" Tomoyo answered. "Just keep her with you for a couple of hours. I'll tell you later." Eriol answered.

Tomoyo wondered what in the world was going on. But she smiled as a thought passed that this was going to be something big and it was for Sakura.

"Sure, sure. Don't worry about it. I've got it covered." Tomoyo answered.

"Thanks, Tomoyo. Call you later." Eriol said as he hung up.

Tomoyo hung up the phone and turned to Sakura. Sakura looked at her, almost scared of what mischievous plan her friend had up her sleeve again. She looked at her suspiciously. She then said, "What is it this time, Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo grinned and said, "We are going shopping. What else? Come on. Let's go." She didn't even wait for Sakura to answer or take in what she said as she started to drag her out her door. Sakura had no choice but allow herself to be dragged along.

_Shopping huh? And I'm the Easter bunny. _Sakura said to herself. She couldn't believe what she was being dragged into. She knew that something was up. She saw that twinkle in Tomoyo's eyes so it was definitely hard to miss.

XxXxXx

"Alright. Tomoyo is with Sakura and she'll keep her occupied for the next couple of hours." Eriol said to Ryu, Touya and Yukito.

"Can I just ask what all of this is about? And for the record, I doubt that my sister doesn't have any suspicions of her own." Touya said.

Ryu smirked as Eriol grinned. It was those two who called the meeting. It was time that they all did everything they could to change the tempo of the things that were happening, especially between Sakura and Shaoran. They all knew that they loved each other. Both of them needed a little push, past their fear that the other wasn't ready to hear what they other had to say.

"This is about her and what has been happening these past months. I don't know if you took a vow of silence to let her go through with it but I think that you would like to get involved now." Ryu answered.

Touya looked at him a little suspiciously. "Ok it's not a secret that all of us here care about her, perhaps some more than the others but what is this exactly about? I doubt that meddling with things covertly will make it better." Yukito commented.

"I have to go with Yukito on this one. I know my sister. She is stubborn but she does things on her own time." Touya said.

"Hey I'm not saying that we ultimately change everything that has been going on between those two. I'm just saying we help create this opportunity for them to talk, that's all. Lock them up somewhere or create this meeting but none of us will be there…I don't know…something. It's just to make them be in the same place long enough for them to talk it out." Ryu said.

"Go on. I think I like that idea." Touya replied.

"That's just it. We don't exactly know how to make that happen. As of now, Sakura is so busy with the preparations for the competition that she barely thinks of anything else. It's just a couple of days before then so she's feeling the full force of the pressure and tension." Eriol replied.

"Then why not make it at the day of the competition itself?" Touya proposed.

"Yeah. That could work." Yukito agreed and so did Ryu and Eriol.

"Here…this is what I think…" Touya started to say as the others listened.

XxXxXx

Sakura and Tomoyo were sitting in this café, waiting for their drinks to arrive. It had been a pretty fun afternoon hanging out. Naoko was still out of town and Chiharu had a date so it was basically just Tomoyo and Sakura. Both didn't mind. It was a girls' day out. Tomoyo had made some purchases already. Sakura knew it was for her hobby making clothes.

"So what's your latest project that made you buy some stuff?" Sakura then asked.

Tomoyo smiled at her and replied, "You. I was thinking of making a whole line and I need a model. Since you were already looking for a job to save money for college, I thought that you'd be perfect. So how about it?"

It was a bombshell that Sakura didn't see coming. It looked like Tomoyo was really serious too. "You're serious?" Sakura was almost afraid to ask.

"Pretty much. My mom wanted me to feature it on her next magazine, just in time for fall. Come on. You'll just have to pose in front of a camera. I'll be there the entire time and plus we both get paid. How's that for college funds?" Tomoyo then said.

"I don't know…me? A model? I really don't know, Tomoyo. I will have to think about it." Sakura replied.

It was like freshman year all over again. Tomoyo had convinced her to be part of the class modeling act for school and it took a lot of psyching up for her to be ready for it and now Tomoyo was asking her to go through with it as a job? The pay wouldn't be all bad but when it comes to those sorts of things, but Sakura sometimes lets her shy side take the lead.

"Well you don't have much time to think because we start next week so that before the summer ends in three weeks, we've finished it and it's ready for press release in time for fall."

"Knowing you, I don't have much of a choice do I?" Sakura answered defeated.

Tomoyo started laughing. They had been friends for a long time and surely Sakura already knew her and her ways, just as much as she understood and knew Sakura. She knew that Sakura wasn't liking the idea but she also knew that she was determined to find a job that would help her save some money for college. "Well what do you say, Sakura?" Tomoyo proceeded to ask.

Sakura let out an exasperated breath. She knew that she really didn't have much to say. Everything was pretty much set already. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad…it was only going to be for the summer. It's not like it was going to be a full-blown modeling contract that was being offered to her. She will have Tomoyo there with her.

"You do know that with this, you are actually giving my brother license to torment me forever, right?" Sakura then said which made Tomoyo start laughing.

"He might but you know, I'm sure he will be really proud of you. You'll be helping earn for your college expenses just like he is doing now. Besides, these pictures will be great." Tomoyo said.

"I guess…but you'll be there right?"

"Yeah of course. I'm the designer. I have to be there. I have the last say on how the pictures will turn out. So?"

Sakura was silent and seemed reflective for a moment. "I guess…well…since all I've been doing lately is something crazy, why not this one too? Ok. I'm in. Don't say anything or I might change my mind. Right. Ok. So there…ok. I'm good. I'm good." She replied nervously.

Tomoyo wanted to laugh but stopped herself. Sakura might just change her mind. Watching her was totally hilarious. But there was no doubt in Tomoyo's mind that Sakura would be able to pull it off and that she would be great. She had always been photogenic…well, in Tomoyo's point of view that is. From the moment her mother had made the proposition, Sakura already popped into her mind. It was easy to work with her. She can really be stubborn but work still gets done.

"Chill, Sakura. It's not a death sentence or anything like that. It's just a little photo-taking session, that's all. If it makes you feel better, I am nervous too, not to mention really worried about making the deadline." Tomoyo decided to say to calm Sakura's nerves.

Sakura looked up at the girl sitting across from her. Tomoyo smiled at her. Her smile seemed infectious as Sakura found herself smiling too.

"I'm sorry, Tomoyo. It's just…the figure skating competition is really getting to me. It's in a couple of days and well…I'm really on edge now…then you decide to give me this bombshell. Well, I guess it will be alright. I'm just nervous. Scratch that. I'm totally agitated." Sakura said.

Tomoyo smiled. She could understand what Sakura was telling her. She knew that the tournament was something new and it was going to be Sakura's first time flying solo in front of thousands of people across the nation, perhaps even the world. It was an all new stage that she was walking on.

After awhile, Sakura then decided to say, "Tomoyo, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything."

"How come I get the feeling that you are stalling for some reason? I mean, like you are purposely trying to keep me occupied. Is there something that I should know?"

Tomoyo was completely taken aback. Sakura was indeed so sharp. She had almost forgotten that herself. How in the world was she going to get out of that without revealing the vague message Eriol had given her earlier? Even she didn't know what was going on. All she knew was that she had to keep Sakura occupied for a couple of hours. If she lost her cool and said something stupid, it would just confirm Sakura's suspicions. Tomoyo decided to smile. Her mind was racing for an answer.

"Actually, Sakura, there's more to that proposal than what I initially said."

_Uh oh…here it goes…_

Tomoyo was silently pleading that Sakura would be satisfied with her answer even if it was still part of the truth. "The reason why I didn't tell you is because I know you already have it way over your head with the figure skating thing and well knowing you…well…I'll leave it at that, knowing you. So anyway, this modeling thing is actually a contract deal. I mean basically it will pay for your college and all the expenses that you will encounter, that goes for me too but that part is irrelevant, on the condition that you will be our/ my model for the next couple of seasons."

Sakura's face was that of shock. A modeling contract that will serve as a scholarship for college. That was…that was something big.

"Come over to my house tomorrow. The contract is there. I haven't signed it yet because I wanted to go over it with you and see what you think before I signed. I know this is something big to take in and I totally understand if you want to blow it off-"

"No. I already agreed that I'll do it awhile ago. I don't intend on turning back on my word. Besides, if it's going to pay for college, then who am I to just throw it away? It will definitely be a great relief on my dad's shoulders. With Onii-chan and I going to college and other bills, he might not be able to take it all. I guess I can sacrifice my peace throughout my life for my brother's constant teasing and also deal with my shyness if it means getting a college degree."

"You sure?"

"Definitely. I just hope that this decision doesn't live to haunt me." Sakura said as she leaned back on her chair. Tomoyo laughed.

"Don't worry. I'll be in it too. Let's just take it by stride."

"That sounds like a good idea. This is a great opportunity for you to be known in the world of fashion, Tomoyo. With your artistic skills, this might be just the break you are looking for." Sakura commented.

Tomoyo looked dreamily. She had always wanted to become a fashion designer. It was her hobby and she was excited that she could do something she loved for financial means for the rest of her life.

Then her thoughts went back to the issue at hand. Something was brewing and Eriol was going to fill her in later on the details. She smiled. She knew that Sakura was seeing it as because of her dream becoming a reality but what she didn't know was that Tomoyo's smile was also loaded. It was a smile for her close friend. She didn't lie to Sakura. She even went as far as telling her it was something big. Sakura didn't know the full extent of it all. Yeah. It was going to be something really big that would ultimately change her life forever.

(to be continued…)

Hmmm…reserving comment for this chapter. Only a few chapters to go. Thanks for the reviews and for reading. I really appreciate it. Keep it coming though. Thanks.

Michiko


	34. Figure Skating Finals

Chapter 34 Figure Skating Finals

"What? You're serious?" Shaoran exclaimed as Ryu finished telling him on the plan that he and the others had talked about. He knew that Touya would have indeed went as far as that but to think that Ryu and Eriol had something to do with it was something that his mind was having a hard time comprehending. He didn't exactly know if he was going to be grateful or utterly annoyed that they were forcing _this _to happen. He could almost see Sakura's reaction when she gets a whip of this. Boy, could he really see it now.

Ryu then handed him a white rose with blue and pink ribbons tied to it. "Here. A peace offering is you will. I'm sure she will love it especially since it will be coming from you." He said. Shaoran accepted the rose.

"Li-sempai, you needed a chance well here it is. Although I can tell you now that Sakura already has her suspicions. The reason why she hadn't acted on them yet because of this whole figure skating thing." Tomoyo said.

Shaoran looked at her suspiciously as his gaze then drifted to Ryu and Eriol. But before he could speak again, Tomoyo said, "Well excuse me gentlemen. I need to meet up with Sakura to help her prepare for the competition in about three hours. See ya." She then left them and headed to meet up with Sakura.

"Don't tell me you're scared." Ryu commented when the three of them were left there. Eriol grinned.

Shaoran smirked and said, "Yeah right. But damn. I still can't believe that you guys did this. I can understand her brother doing something like this but you two?"

Ryu and Eriol jrinned. "Just think about it this way, man." Eriol said. Shaoran looked at him.

Eriol smirked before continuing, "When this is over, you really have lost your best friend but gained a girl friend, perhaps even one day a wife. By the way things are going, I'm guessing Ryu-san here will take over as your best friend."

"Hey let's not talk about the future like that. Let's just deal with now. And the way things are going, you are probably going to be Sakura's best friend." Shaoran said as they headed to the door.

"Hate to break it to you, Shaoran. She already is my best friend. I'm only wishing that I will be hers." Eriol replied.

"I can't say I'm surprised. I'd have to say that is inevitable, Eriol." Shaoran said as they headed over to the Dome to watch the competition.

Shaoran braced himself for what was to happen. This was it. There was no turning back. His courage will not falter now. Where things were going, none of them will be able to fight it but at least before all that, Sakura would know the truth he held from her all that time. He didn't care if Sakura would accept him…who was he kidding? He did care but he had prepared himself for the worst just in case. One thing was for certain though, he will not shy away from the truth. He had already lived the past eight months in stupidity. He wasn't going to do that anymore.

XxXxXx

Tomoyo knocked at Sakura's room. Sakura opened it and let Tomoyo in. As Tomoyo entered, she figured that Sakura was about to fix her hair and her makeup for the event.

"Nervous?" Tomoyo teased as she set her stuff at a nearby chair. She then straightened herself and turned to look at Sakura.

Sakura smiled at Tomoyo and replied, "Nah, not really. I just can't seem to calm myself, that's all."

Tomoyo started laughing. "Thanks for coming, Tomoyo. It really means a lot. Chiharu and Naoko already called wishing me luck. I just can't wait to hit the ice to get this over with." Sakura then proceeded on to say. She then sat in front of Tomoyo, also in front of the mirror. Sakura had her back on the mirror. It was obvious that she was trying very hard to calm herself.

"Just hang in there, Sakura. This day would be over before you even know it. Just give your best and you'll do fine. I can understand the nerves though. We've all been there so I'm saying just hang in there. It gets better." Tomoyo advised.

Sakura smiled and took in a deep breath. It seemed to work a little. Just a few more and she would be all set. But deep down she knew that that wasn't going to happen until the competition was over that afternoon.

Tomoyo then stood and went up to Sakura. "Come on. Let's get started. You'll feel worse if you have to do everything the last minute." She said as she took Sakura's hand and ushered her to the small comfort room provided for her inside her dressing room. Sakura didn't seem to mind. She didn't want to think about pressure so she was willing to do just about anything as a form of distraction.

Tomoyo then handed Sakura the dress she made just for her for this competition. "Oh my God! Tomoyo…this is…this is…thank you so much!" Sakura said when she finally opened the suit bag Tomoyo had given her. She couldn't believe it. It was so beautiful that Sakura felt guilty for being scared of what Tomoyo had up her sleeve. She thought that Tomoyo would go overboard but as she looked at the finished product, she was proven wrong. Sakura fell in love with her dress right away.

As Sakura kept looking at the dress, Tomoyo couldn't help but smile. "I thought you might like it. Now, still have doubts with the modeling contract?" She teased.

"You totally out did yourself this time, Tomoyo. And as for the contract, I already signed it last night. It's in my bag over there. I've been thinking about it since you proposed it and well, I'm desperate for college funds. I'm willing to take this risk. Besides, if I'm going to be stuck in this kind of business, why not be stuck with a close friend? I'm just going to see how it looks on." Sakura replied as she went inside the comfort room to change, while leaving the door slightly ajar.

"Sakura, can I get the contract from your bag? I'll sign it too." Tomoyo called out.

"Sure. It's in my bag."

Tomoyo headed to the table where Sakura left her bag. She opened it and took out the folder. She opened it and smiled. Sakura did sign the papers. It was a step closer to both of their dreams. Tomoyo knew how much it meant to Sakura to head to college and earn her degree. Even if she was still shaken up from the embassy incident, Sakura still wanted to work along that line. She had mentioned once that she could at least apply at UN if she still can't find herself being an ambassador. Being affiliated with the United Nations, she said, was the next best thing. But then again, knowing Sakura, Shaoran and all of them around her, none will allow her to fall short in reaching her childhood dreams.

She took out a pen from her purse and sat. She took out the contract and started signing the papers. After signing the last page, she leaned back a little with a smile on her face. She hadn't noticed that Sakura had already stepped out. But the image didn't escape the mirror in front of her. When she realized that her friend had already stepped out, she immediately stood and turned towards Sakura.

Sakura smiled at her and started walking towards her. "It fits perfectly, Tomoyo. I love it. Thank you." She said.

Tomoyo smiled as she took a glimpse of her masterpiece. She was happy when she finished it now seeing it on Sakura, she was absolutely speechless. It was absolutely Sakura.

Tomoyo then let Sakura sit in front of the mirror.

"Ok now that I know how the dress looks, I can start with make-up." Sakura commented as she took out her make-up kit.

"Go with the golds and silvers. It's perfect that way." Tomoyo suggested.

"Gold? Silver? You're serious?"

"Yeah. Since I'm your official designer now, I can make suggestions on your make-up to give you a more dramatic effect. You know what, I'll do your make-up and you can start with your hair. This way, we both can finish up early."

"Uh doing my hair will be like next to impossible while you are doing make-up. I'll just wait for you to finish before I tie my hair in a bun."

"Sounds good to me." Tomoyo said as she started with the make-up.

"Just don't overdo it, Tomoyo. This is a figure skating competition and not a fashion show. Ok?"

Tomoyo started laughing and then replied, "Relax will you? I know that. I'm just going to use that for eye make-up. What's nice about you is that you don't really need much make-up. Honestly, an all natural look suits you more. Although we can enhance some like your eyes. You already have great green eyes so let's make it a little obvious."

"I trust you, Tomoyo." Sakura said as she smiled and closed her eyes.

Tomoyo then took a gold eyeliner and started with her eyes. Sakura had nice skin so she really didn't need to use foundation. She then used some silver eye shadow for the base and built it up to the gold to give it a more dramatic look. She took out some blush on and brushed some on Sakura's cheek before applying some powder to even everything out. Tomoyo then took Sakura's favorite cherry blossom lip gloss to finish the look.

"Ok. You can open your eyes now, Sakura." She said as she turned the chair towards the mirror so that her friend could see what she had done.

When Sakura first looked at herself at the mirror, she really had to do a double-take. She couldn't believe what Tomoyo had done. Now she was really confident that going into that modeling contract with Tomoyo wasn't a bad choice. Her friend indeed had a talent for it. Sakura could feel herself smile the broadest. She liked the subtle yet striking effect that Tomoyo had accomplished.

"Wow!" was all Sakura could manage to say.

Tomoyo stood proud at what she had done. "I was going for a modest yet with an impact sort of thing." She said.

"I'll say…there's no doubt in my mind that you will make it into the fashion world big time with these talents of yours." Sakura commented as she took her brush and started with her hair. She pulled it up in a bun and secured it with a lot of black hair pins. She then took out the white rose with diamonds hair pin Shaoran had given her to hold it all together.

"Perfect." Tomoyo commented as Sakura's coach entered the room.

XxXxXx

"Hey Tomoyo. So how is Sakura holding up?" Touya couldn't help but ask when Tomoyo came and joined them. She was about to sit when Touya had asked the question.

She smiled and replied, "Nervous for one but I'd have to say that she's doing good actually. She's so beautiful and confident that she will just breeze through this entire thing. Even if she finished third in her short program this morning, she really doesn't mind. Now that the free program is about to start, well…let's just say that she's more worried about that."

"Well there's no doubt in my mind that she'll do great. She had worked so hard for this." Eriol commented.

"Wish we saw the short program this morning." Yukito said.

Tomoyo smiled and said, "I have it on film. Besides, she understands why you guys couldn't make it. You guys had work. Well, that's to say for you and Kinomoto-san. As for these three, we all know why they didn't arrive until now."

The guys smirked as the free program was starting. "Sakura is the third performer. She's after that girl over there." Tomoyo said pointing to the girl near them. They sat near the entrance, where the skaters entered and exited.

Just as she finished saying it, Sakura walked out and was watching the performance with her Coach nearby. Her teammate was the first to perform.

"Hey Sakura!" Tomoyo called out, snapping Sakura out of her nerves. She looked up and saw all of them. She smiled as her eyes drifted to all her friends and brother who were there to support her. She was shocked when she saw Shaoran but then gave him a warm smile and bowed slightly.

They were actually pleasantly surprised at how Sakura looked. What Tomoyo said was an understatement. Sakura was drop-dead gorgeous. Tomoyo had been able to fully bring out Sakura's natural gifts.

"How are you holding up, imouto-chan?"

Sakura took in a deep breath and answered, "Better than expected. I'm on in about six to ten minutes so couldn't be better."

Her gaze then drifted to Eriol and said, "I promise I'll do your song some justice. All that hard work won't be for nothing."

She then looked at Shaoran and said, "Thanks for the good luck charm. It helps with the nerves." She pointed at the birthday present he had given her. He smiled.

Sakura then heard her Coach call to her. She turned to them and said, "Well I guess that's my cue. See you later guys." They watched her walk towards her Coach as she was given last minute instruction and had congratulated her teammate for a job well done. She then took off her white jacket to reveal the magnificent white dress Tomoyo had expertly made for her. It wasn't a design usually seen on the ice.

Sakura made a silent prayer. Before she knew it, it was her turn. She took a deep breath and skated on to the center of the rink and into the light.

(to be continued…)

Four chapters to go before we have to say goodbye. Thanks for reviewing and reading up to this chapter. Please do continue to send in your views and stuff. Thanks.

Michiko


	35. Sakura's Secret

Chapter 35 Sakura's Secret

When Sakura first step foot on the ice, Eriol smiled. He knew that she was going to nail it. He had practiced along side Sakura for months and he knew that she was ready. Now that the short program was already out of the picture, he knew that she was going to pour everything she had on her free program. The moment she told him that she would give his song justice, he knew that her determination was speaking to him and no longer her fear.

Tomoyo held her breath, anxious at her friend's final presentation for the day. Then, the real show was to begin. She wasn't sure if she was anxious of seeing her skate or because Tomoyo knew what was going to happen later after the competition was over and done with. She couldn't help but smile.

Ryu, he had seen how Sakura had poured her heart out to this competition. He was really proud of her for being able to reach this far. He still had to admit though that it hurt like hell but he knew that it was the right thing to do. Somehow, it made what he felt inside lighter, like it was really what he was supposed to be doing.

Touya, for the first time, was seeing his sister's escape. He had been against this whole thing when she had proposed it over dinner but ultimately supported her anyway. At that moment, it seemed that he was watching her pass through the refiner's fire. The past months had been a trying time for her. He was the first to know her pain and had seen her break down a couple of times. Watching her skate on the ice now was like watching her break free.

Yukito, he had always been there for Sakura. She was always like a sister to him. He could remember the time when she confessed of her childhood, innocent love. A smile would always come to him. But as their friendship grew, she treated him more like family than anything else. He had always given her the same affections. It was hard doing nothing as he saw her grief, her problems. She let him witness her strength as much as her weakness. He never told anyone but he knew that somehow Sakura felt that Yukito blamed himself for what happened to her at the French embassy. She had been trying to convince him otherwise ever since. Now, being able to witness her skate and compete was like a treat showing him that an imperfect person like her could be perfect being herself, going through the black, the white and the grey things of life.

Shaoran, for the past months, he and Sakura had drifted apart without him even realizing it. He had missed having his best friend and he had been so absorbed with thinking of how he was feeling and trying to walk on fair ground that he failed to see the real extent of her suffering. She had suffered alone because of him. Having admitted to himself and slowly to everyone around them that he was in love with Sakura, watching her go out there was like watching a very delicate, rare flower blossom. She had grown into this wonderful young woman right before his eyes. He hadn't even noticed at first. His heart waited in anticipation on the grace and beauty that she was sharing with everyone. Shaoran had only had a glimpse so what she could do on the ice. With that small glimpse, he was impressed. Now, watching the product of months of hard work, he was expecting to be blown away. His breath was already taken the moment his eyes caught sight of her, more when she smiled at him. Now, his beloved cherry blossom was spreading her wings.

The song started slowly, very delicate and heart-warming. Sakura skated with much grace like a ballet dancer. Her emotions were shown from her face to every inch of her body. Suddenly, the song shifted. The tempo and the instrumentals became lively and fun. It just grabs at you. The way she skated and danced became more powerful and precise. All the moves that she had picked up from Koji Mikagami and practiced with Eriol with were now being incorporated into the program.

Eriol knew from the way she skated that she was having fun and that she was indeed giving her best, not really minding if she was going to fall or not. The others could see it too. Her jumps were high, confident and strong. Her twists and turns were delicate yet firm.

As she started with much softness, she finished with such vigor that truly showcased her real personality on the ice. All throughout her free program, she didn't see anything but she felt everything. With only the song Eriol made for her in mind, she just let herself go. She had zone out everything around her and found herself only at the light. It was a liberating feeling, a special treat that she had earned after months of uncertainty. It was the first time she felt so free in such a long time.

When the music ended and Sakura finished her performance, she heard this thunderous applause. She smiled and took a bow. More than ever, she was relieved that it was over and she could breathe. She skated back to the where she entered and was hugged by her Coach. She was being congratulated by her as she was handed a bouquet of flowers. Before she settled beside her Coach to wait for her scores, she allowed her gaze to drift to where the others were seated. She gave them a big smile and blushed when they were congratulating her, especially Shaoran.

They waited for the results. To be honest though, Sakura wouldn't really care less. She was content knowing that she gave her best and her friends and family were there to share it with her. That was all that she could ever want. She didn't really care if she ranked or won or something. As long as her hard work for all those months paid off and she was able to deliver a presentable piece to all of them, with that, Sakura already felt like a winner.

As the monitor started flashing the scores from the different judges, Sakura really didn't see them nor did she hear anything. She had put everything off. The next thing she knew was that her Coach was hugging her again and there were tears in her eyes. Sakura seemed stunned and confused. That was when she heard the applause and cheer from the crowd. She stared at the monitor again and it registered that at that she had earned the top spot for the free program. It was still an on-going contest and there were still some skaters left but it was a surreal experience. She smiled and bowed again before she had to leave and head back inside.

XxXxXx

Back at her dressing room, Sakura's Coach had left her to change while she attended to some stuff, checked on the others. Sakura savored the new found silence in the room. It had been crazy especially during the last couple of days that it was nice to just sit back and be alone for once. She sat there in front of the mirror. She looked at herself and smiled. She still couldn't believe what she had done. It was both a relief and a triumphant moment. She closed her eyes and listened to the silence.

Soon a knock was heard from the door. It was a good thing that she had already removed her skates so she was able to answer the door. She smiled when she saw Tomoyo there.

"You were amazing, Sakura!" She said as she entered and hugged her friend.

"Thanks, Tomoyo." Sakura replied as she took a deep breath and added, "I'm just glad it's over. I don't even mind the results. I'm just so relieved that I don't really care about anything else."

They both sat down again. After a moment, Sakura stood and said, "Well I guess I better change. You don't have to leave." She then headed to her bag and took out fresh clothes.

"Sakura, can I ask you something?" Tomoyo then said. She secretly had clicked on her phone to signal Eriol outside. Sakura turned to her and nodded before heading into the comfort room and leaving the door ajar a little bit.

A knock then was heard. "Tomoyo, do you mind getting it?"

"Sure. No problem." Tomoyo then opened the door and let Eriol and Shaoran inside.

"Hey Sakura. It's me. You did great out there!" Eriol called out.

"Thanks, Eriol." Came Sakura's voice from the comfort room.

"Well I'll let you change. I'll come back later." Eriol said as he left the room, leaving Tomoyo and Shaoran inside.

Upon hearing the door close, Sakura then asked, "So what's the question about, Tomoyo?"

"Are you in love with Li-sempai?"

"Huh? What? In love? I love him, yeah, because he's my best friend. Of course, I love him. I wouldn't have done what I did if I didn't at least care for him."

"But it's more like a best friend thing?"

"I guess you can put it like that roughly. It's just he has always been there for me my entire life and well I thought that who am I to stand against his happiness? I could never do that to him. He deserves better than that."

Tomoyo looked at Shaoran and then proceeded as planned. "So do you hate Li-sempai?"

"What?"

"Do you hate Li-sempai? It's just…he must have done something to make you avoid him and not talk to him even before you two had that confrontation at the stairway. Ok. Maybe it's for happiness and whatever but there's always a way without going into extremes. Did you hate him for making you choose like that?"

Sakura giggled a little and replied, "Of course not. I don't hate him. I could never hate him. It's just became complicated, that's all. Besides, he's not like that. He wouldn't do something to make me hate him."

"Then what happened? It's just us girls here."

"Promise you won't tell a soul?"

"Of course. You know me, Sakura. I don't go around telling everybody people's secrets." Tomoyo replied as there was a momentary pause from Sakura.

"Ok. But before that, can I just say that removing this glittery, silver and gold make-up is awfully hard." Sakura said making Tomoyo laugh. It worked, Tomoyo mouthed towards Shaoran. He smirked.

"You remember when Shaoran and Rika-san first broke up?" Came Sakura's voice.

"Yeah?"

"He didn't need to tell me. I could see it in his actions. I knew. I also knew how devastated he was because Shaoran's the type who would never hurt another on purpose and he's really loyal. So of course I had to wonder why Rika-san suddenly broke up with him. I confronted her and well…I found out that I was the reason." Sakura explained but stopped.

Both Shaoran and Tomoyo seemed surprised. They looked at each other. Shaoran figured that she was probably blaming herself for what had happened the first time but he hadn't known that it was rooted on more facts than that. She had basis to go on. They waited patiently for Sakura to continue.

"As it turned out, it looked like I was Shaoran's girl friend and she was the best friend. When she told me that, I understood. How can I not? I mean, if I put myself in her shoes, I would probably felt the hurt that she did and would have done the same." Sakura continued.

"Oh Sakura…" Tomoyo commented, finally putting everything together. Shaoran wasn't that far behind with it as well.

"So without really thinking about it, I blurted out that if I stayed out of the picture, would she give Shaoran another chance? She nodded. So I agreed just like that. I just asked her to give me time to say goodbye. So after, I called Shaoran and asked him to meet me at Central before Eriol's concert last spring. We spent the whole day together, even meeting Eriol and everything but I couldn't do it. I couldn't say goodbye. When I told him good night, I resigned myself that that was it. So that was it." Sakura explained.

Shaoran closed his eyes. Tomoyo could only guess what was going through his head. It was a revelation that was really hard to swallow. It was something that wasn't easy to hear.

"If I was presented with the same situation or I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have done things differently. I would still do the same thing without thinking twice. I mean, he's with Rika. I know how much he loves her and with that, I know that he's happy. I could never want it any other way. All I want is for him to be happy,"

Shaoran knew that it was the moment he was waiting for. It was time for him to speak up. There was no more time to waste. He blurted out, "No, Sakura. We are not together anymore."

(to be continued…)

I suppose you guys can guess where this is heading? Hehe. But can I just say that this, I mean the events of the entire chapter are the very details of a dream I had that became my inspiration for this entire fic. Well anyway, thanks for reviewing and reading this far. I hope that you guys still continue to send in what you think. Thanks,

Michiko


	36. Shaoran's Confession

Chapter 36 Shaoran's Confession

Shaoran knew that it was the moment he was waiting for. It was time for him to speak up. There was no more time to waste. He blurted out, "No, Sakura. We are not together anymore."

Sakura could almost have dropped dead in surprise. Shaoran was inside the room and he heard her say the truth. He heard everything. Sakura was lost for words as she closed her eyes. She was going to tell him eventually but she honestly didn't want him to find out that way. It was like this huge relief swept through her because now she didn't have to lie anymore and at the same time, another part of her wanted to die. It was something that he wasn't supposed to know…not like that.

With the silence that fell after he spoke, Shaoran could guess what was going through Sakura's head. He knew her well enough to know that with what just happened, it had completely taken her off guard. He knew that Sakura might resent them for going into that sort of tactic but it had to be done and there was no way that he would regret it. He wanted her to know his side of the truth. He wanted her to know that she didn't have to carry that burden alone. He wanted her to know that he was there…that he loved her. Nothing could have stopped him from that. Not anymore.

Tomoyo was glued in her place. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to leave or stay. She was torn whether to head out the door or just be there as a witness to it all. Although, a huge part of her wanted to stay to find out how things turn out. She couldn't help it. But she respected Sakura and Shaoran's privacy so she opted to leave. She was stopped when Shaoran held up his hand to make her stop. Looking into his eyes, Tomoyo understood that Sakura would be needing her after Shaoran had said what he needed to. She nodded and kept silent.

"Sakura, Rika and I broke up. It just wasn't meant to be and it's not your fault. It was never your fault. It was wrong of her…wrong of me to have made you feel that way." Shaoran then said. Sakura was still silent. She still hadn't uttered a response while she continued to change.

"I'm so, so sorry, Sakura. You're right. It never crossed my mind how you felt because I was stupid. I was so absorbed with my inner demons that I tuned out my heart and my rationality. I took you for granted and I wasn't there for you when you needed me to understand the most."

It was the first time Shaoran was actually speaking truthfully about how he felt. Sakura was surprised by the suddenness of it all. Tomoyo, on the other hand, was completely taken off guard. She hadn't known this side of Shaoran before. She knew and understood now why Sakura had been saying that they weren't that different and the reason why she let her heart fall for him.

"I honestly don't know right now what I can do to make you believe me but…I did like her and I care for her but it's just as friends and I can see that clearly now…that's because…I really love you…Sakura. If you don't feel the same, that's ok. But at least now you know the truth. I'm not running away anymore." Shaoran said as he laid a single white rose with pink and blue ribbons tied to it on the table and left the room.

When he said those words, Sakura felt her heart sink and expand at the same time. She had finished dressing up but chose not to re-enter the room. She stood there by the door as a smile swept across her face. When she heard the door on the outside close, she exited the comfort room.

Sakura and Tomoyo's gaze met, not really uttering a word. Tomoyo had a knowing smile on her face and Sakura knew what it meant. "Don't say anything." Sakura said as she went over to the table where her bag was and saw the white rose Shaoran had left her. She picked it up and smiled.

"I know you told me not to say anything but I just have to say it." Tomoyo said walking towards Sakura.

Sakura turned to her and waited for her to say whatever it was that she needed to say. Tomoyo smiled and said, "Li-sempai is quite a catch, Sakura. I'm happy that you both have finally found each other again. This was a long time coming. You just have to be honest with how you really feel about him. I think he already knows but he still needs you to say it. I know he won't force you into something that you don't want."

Sakura smiled and nodded as she finished fixing her stuff. "Yeah. I know. I was going to tell him. Actually when he started to speak, I was almost finished dressing up. I finished before he actually ended his speech a minute ago."

Tomoyo's grin widened and eyed her friend. She then said, "Then why on earth didn't you come out? You two could have kissed or something?"

Sakura started to laugh as they both headed for the door. She then replied, "Save the drama, Tomoyo. That's not exactly our style. You should know that Shaoran and I are more subtle than that. Besides, he was in the moment. I didn't want to disturb him. That would be quite a shame since he never really, openly admits _that _sort of thing."

Tomoyo started laughing and Sakura laughed with her as they exited from the room. But their mirth died down when they saw Shaoran standing there at the corridor.

"I'll leave you two now. I'll head to the others." Tomoyo said as she started walking down the corridor.

Sakura stood there for a moment before finally walking towards Shaoran and smiled. She then handed him back the rose. She could see the confusion in his eyes. She smiled again.

"I was going to tell you. I never intended for you to find out that way. I guess it was decided for me that it should be that way. I have still so much to tell you and I want you to give that to me in person, not because you left it for me. You will know when the time is right. Just let me tell you what I really need to and we can start talking from there. We can still talk about anything right?" Sakura said.

Shaoran smiled and replied, "Yeah. We still can. So are we cool?"

Sakura started to laugh. She then looked at him straight in the eyes and said, "We've always been cool, Shaoran. I told you. You just always put it off proportion that's all. It's complicated but we've always been cool."

Shaoran smirked as they both embraced. Sakura could hear the smirks and cheers from the others down the corridor. "Besides, you're not off the hook yet." Sakura said as she broke off from him and they started walking towards the others. "None of you are." She added as Shaoran smirked.

Touya grinned and was about to say something when Sakura beat him to it, "Save it, 'nii-chan. You're not getting off that easily. I know you, well, all of you had something to do with this."

Tomoyo and the others hid their smiles as Touya looked at his sister innocently.

"What are you talking about, imouto-chan? I'm hurt that you actually think that _I am capable of such a thing when I don't even know what thing you are talking about._"

Sakura shook her head and gave him a yeah-right look. "Quit the innocent act, 'nii-chan. It doesn't suit you. And like I'm about to believe that you hadn't done anything. I know you, all of you so you are not getting off that easily."

"But we did bring you two together, Sakura, so just this once, cut us some slack." Eriol said.

Sakura started laughing. "I can't believe that you really did something like this, Eriol. You of all people. I should have warned you to stay away from my brother. He can be a bad influence sometimes." Sakura commented. Eriol grinned.

"Oh yeah have you heard?" Eriol then proceeded on to say.

"Heard what?" Sakura asked innocently.

"You won! You took first place!" Eriol announced excitedly.

Sakura was taken by surprise. "Oh ok…" was all she managed to say.

"Right. Winning the figure skating competition and all you manage to say is 'oh ok'." Ryu commented.

Sakura turned to him and smiled. "But I didn't do it alone. It's a surreal feeling, yes, but it's not just my triumph. Eriol was the one who made the song. Tomoyo was the one who made the dress and the make-up. Coach was the one who had me take up ballet and dance class. Mikagami-san was the one who pushed me extra hard to get the moves right. All of you for supporting me. So thanks guys." The others smiled.

Someone then called Sakura from behind. She turned and saw her Coach motioning her to come. She gave a bow and turned to the others. "Excuse me for a minute guys." Sakura said.

Before she was able to run, Shaoran took her bag from her and said, "I'll take this. Go on."

Sakura looked at him a little surprised but nodded. She didn't actually have the time to argue with him as she dashed to meet with her Coach and one of her teammates.

"This is Mr. Yoichi Koda, Director of the Figure Skating Board of Japan." Coach Alekzeeva introduced the man in the suit to Sakura and her teammate as the two of them bowed in respect.

"Before anything else, I would like to personally congratulate the both of you for a job well done in this competition." Yoichi Koda said as he presented them with their respective medals. The two girls smiled shyly and thanked him. He then proceeded on to say, "Well as you know, the Olympics is coming up and we are in the process of selecting talented young athletes as yourselves to represent our country. With the results, I would like to personally inform you that you two have been chosen to be part of team Japan in figure skating."

It took a minute for Sakura and her teammate to process what had been said. They both felt like the rug had been pulled from under their feet. It was a great honor to have been chosen. "So? What do you say girls? Preparing for the Olympics is another ordeal, physically, mentally, spiritually. Will you accept this proposal?" Coach Alekzeeva said.

Sakura and her teammate looked at each other. No words were spoken as they both smiled and nodded happily. They shrieked with delight. Yoichi Koda then handed them both official letters bearing the emblem of the Olympics and the Japanese team crest. They accepted the honor and bowed. The man smiled and left.

"We start training tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves for the job well done." Coach Alekzeeva said as she hugged both girls and left herself.

"See you at practice tomorrow." Sakura said. Her teammate beamed and nodded before they parted ways.

Sakura smiled, still couldn't believe what she was holding in her hands. She then started to walk back to the others. She beamed at them. When she got to them, she said, "Looks like I'm quitting the cheerleading squad."

"What? Why?" All of them asked.

Sakura smiled and held the letter up, showing the Olympic logo and the Japanese emblem. All stared at what she was showing them. As realization took hold of all of them, they congratulated her. She smiled at them, not really knowing what to say.

Touya took the letter and said, "Well, Sakura, I've got to hand it to you. This is a great accomplishment, not to mention a great honor to represent Japan."

"Yeah I know. To tell you guys the truth, I was planning to quit figure skating after this tournament but then when this opportunity came up, there was no doubt in my mind that I have to go. I just want to see how far I can go and well, it's a great way to interact with people from different countries. It's going to be an interesting experience which I know I'll be able to use after I've finished college. I'm sure Coach Asahi and the others will understand why I need to quit the squad." Sakura explained.

She then turned to Eriol and Tomoyo. She smiled and said, "Don't worry, you guys. I'm not going to ask you to create something for me. I might ask for advice but that's it." Both smiled at her.

Tomoyo then said, "Sure. We will be spending a lot of time together so it's a must to keep the communication open. But right now I think I better be going. I need to get these papers back to my mom. I'll call you with what happens later." Sakura nodded.

"As for me, congrats Sakura. I knew you could do it. I'll be heading to the dance studio now. Mikagami-san is going to kill me. I'm already late as it is so catch you guys later."

Sakura started laughing and said, "Here. Take this with you. Hopefully it will pacify Mikagami-san's rage and go easy on you." She then handed him her medal that Yoichi Koda had handed to her together with the letter.

Eriol smiled and took it, promising to give both back to her the next day.

"See you later you guys. We…need to go somewhere but here." Ryu said as he, Touya and Yukito left.

"How come I have a feeling this was all part of the plan?" Sakura commented when they all left the two of them.

Shaoran smirked and replied, "This I'm not sure about. But I am going to guess the same." Sakura looked at him and smiled.

"Are you ok with my bag there? Because honestly I'm not feeling right having you carry it. You know me."

"Don't worry about it. It's fine. But since it's just the two of us here, you want to go somewhere? Promise. It's my treat."

Sakura started laughing. "You still haven't change, Shaoran. Like the only reason I come with you is when you are the one whose paying. But since you are paying, why not?" She said as she winked at him. Shaoran laughed and led the way.

(to be continued…)

Now the truth's out. I'm sure you can guess what happens in the next chapter. Only two more chapters guys and we have to say goodbye. Anyway, I placed the Olympics part as a form of tribute to the upcoming Olympic games. Go world! Hehe. I know all the athletes around the world are going to showcase their best in their events so kudos for being chosen to represent your country and good luck on your events. ^_^ Being chosen is an accomplishment in itself so I think all of them are already winners. ^_^ Thanks for reading and reviewing this far. I do hope you still continue on with me to the end. Thanks.

Michiko


	37. Finally Together

Chapter 37 Finally Together

It was a little awkward at first as they walked after they had something to eat. The silence brought about the uneasiness. Both knew that it was time to actually talk about _it. _They had been pulling it off during dinner. It was funny how things seemed to have instantly returned to normal after they reconciled only a few hours ago. It was like nothing had happened between them, all that tension and secrecy seemed to dissipate. But the reality came crashing back when they started walking again. Both would have blushed like mad, knowing what was to happen as their relationship was taking a turn.

Shaoran had led her to the park, the heights point which overlooked the sea and part of the city. It was beautiful there, calm and quiet. The moon was full, shining brightly at the night sky as the stars glistened beside it. From the ledge they were standing at, they saw that the waters were calm. The wind was gentle and cool, dancing around them. Shaoran could see Sakura smile as she looked at the universe being reflected on the sea beyond.

He had never forgotten her smile. How could he? Her beautiful smile was always enough to snap him out of his deepest problems, enough to lighten up his day without even trying. As he looked at her, he could feel himself grow more captivated. Without even realizing it, Shaoran found himself smiling too.

"So…" Shaoran started.

"So…?" Sakura replied, not really sure on what to say. She decided to let him talk first. After all, she had never given him the chance to voice out his thoughts and feelings about the entire thing before deciding on it by herself. It was only fair.

"What are your plans now? I mean besides going to the Olympics."

Sakura smiled at him and said, "College, of course. I'm still a little on edge if I still want to be an Ambassador but I still want to be in that line of work, even if I'm just affiliated in the UN. Oh and I signed this contract to be Tomoyo's model."

"Tomoyo's model? Model? Like actual modeling? Magazine type model?" Shaoran asked, quite amused and surprised. He could remember her freshman year and how she would tell him that she couldn't believe that her class had made her one of the models. He had seen how she had prepared herself for the task, how she went through it, her feelings about it and most especially her annoyance since her brother wouldn't let up on the subject. Now, learning that she had signed a contract be a model, it was really something that he never expected her to do.

Sakura could sense what was going through Shaoran's mind and smiled. "I know, I know. It's not that hard to figure out what's going on in that head of yours. Yeah it's that kind of modeling and I know that you remember my freshman year, my sentiments no doubt. Those were the first things that came to my mind too. But by doing this, I've ensured myself that all my college bills will be paid and 'tou-chan doesn't have to take another job to support me. It's like a scholarship thing and well I can live with being a model for awhile if it means I'd be able to pay my way through college." She explained.

She saw him grin. He then looked at her and said, "That's so much like you, Sakura. But I'd have to say that it's not hard to figure out why Tomoyo chose you to be her model." The comment made Sakura blush. She chose not to look at him. He simply grinned.

"You're the first to know. So please don't tell anyone just yet. Well anyway, how about you? Still planning to become a business man?" Sakura said, to brush off the topic and move on to the next. She thought that by rallying the original question, it could make her stop blushing. She knew that he had seen her turn red.

Shaoran grinned at her again. Oh yeah. He didn't get a chance yet to tell her. The last time they talked about dreams and the future was when they were waiting in line for the concert months back. He glanced at her slightly and saw that she was still looking beyond, trying hard not to look at him. He smirked inwardly. "No. I'll be taking up pre-law in spring. I'm going for it." He said.

Sakura smiled at him, still refusing to look at him. She couldn't help but ask, "What made you decide all of a sudden?"

"You. During the University fair, I decided that you did make a valid argument. It had been my dream since we were both kids and walking away just because of negligible factors wasn't a rational thing to do."

She said nothing as she gave him a nod. "Listen, Sakura, I really need to apologize-"

"There's nothing to apologize for, Shaoran. I made the choices I made because it was the right thing to do and because I fell in love with you. Things happened because it had to happen that way."

Shaoran didn't know if he was supposed to be in shock for having Sakura spoken the truth, for cutting him off or simply because of her confession. His heart skipped a beat. Did he head right? Or was he just dreaming? From the moment he figured out what he truly was feeling for Sakura, Shaoran had dreamed to hearing her say that she loved him too. His breath was taken when she finally turned to face him. She was simply beautiful. Her eyes spoke to him. It was filled with love and understanding that he felt himself get lost in them.

"I pictured this differently. I already told you that I was planning to tell you and I didn't want you to find out that way. I wanted you to hear it from me. Although technically you did but I wanted to tell you up front, not hiding or skipping a few details." Sakura said, looking straight into his eyes. She wanted him to understand. She wanted to get through to him. It was the only way she knew how. A part of her wondered how easily it had slipped through her tongue. She was dreading that it would be harder than that.

"Skipping a few details? What details would that be?" Shaoran asked lovingly. Sakura fought the urge to up walk up into his arms and get lost in them.

She took a deep breath and said, "Before you guys broke up, I already had a feeling…this bad feeling that it was going to turn up that way. I kinda overheard Rika-san's friends talking at the washroom. They didn't know I was there. They kept talking about how it wasn't fair for Rika-san to be in a relationship where her boy friend's attention was divided from her to me. At that moment, I tried to tune them out but it was so hard. I know they don't like me but it just…I started to see things differently. I placed myself in Rika-san's shoes and figured, yeah, it was hard and painful so I decided to back off a little bit. But then you guys broke up. I honestly didn't know what to do. I still went up to Rika-san and asked her if you did something for her to break it off or if it were something else. I already knew part of the truth but I guess I wasn't ready to really hear it. When she told me how she really felt, I understood. You know the rest. I just couldn't stand seeing you like that, you know."

With the next blinking moment, Sakura found herself in Shaoran's arms. His strong, reassuring arms were around her, holding on to her, almost like for dear life. Shaoran felt her freeze with shock but then relax as she allowed him to hold her close. He had forgotten how nice it was to hold her next to him. It was different then. Before, they viewed each other as best friends. Now, it was like they finally knew where they belonged.

"Why didn't you tell me, Sakura?"

"How can I tell you that I was the reason you were hurting? Knowing you, you would just have told me that I was being paranoid and that it wasn't true. A part of me was afraid of you hating me for it."

Shaoran broke off from her and cupped her face. How could she even think that he could hate her? Her, of all people? He bid her to look at him straight in the eyes. He saw that a few stray tears escaped her eyes. He gently brushed them away. She gently closed her eyes, savoring his touch.

"Look at me, Sakura." Shaoran said gently as she opened her eyes slowly. He kept her gaze, feeling himself get lost inside them as he also could tell that she was captured in his gaze as well.

"I can never hate you, Sakura. We have our differences and we do argue but it will never be enough for me to truly hate you. Ryu told me something the other day that I think you should hear. He told me that we are hurt the most by the people we love the most. I will not lie. I did hurt at that time. But it can never compare to the pain I felt when I thought I've lost you forever. Please believe me." His voice was almost pleading but filled with much tenderness and love that it made Sakura's heart beat a little faster.

"I believe you, Shaoran."

Shaoran smiled at her. He ran his hand on her long, silky hair, trying to imprint the feel in his hand. God, he truly loved this woman in front of him. She had been there by his side for his entire life and for the time that she wasn't, it felt like he had never been complete. Everyone could see that they belonged together. He finally saw that too. They had always belonged together. There was no question about that.

Having her so close to him, Shaoran couldn't resist as he leaned forward and closed the gap between their lips. The moment his lips touched hers, all his emotions seemed to stir inside of him and an overwhelming feeling of love seemed to envelop his entire being. Even if he didn't want to, he broke off gently. He looked at her straight in the eyes.

"I love you, Sakura." He simply said, as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Yeah, I know. I love you too, Shaoran." He tightened his arms around her, holding her closer.

They came closer and shared another kiss. This time it was more passionate than their first one just a moment before, not losing its gentleness and sweetness. They let all their emotions surface with that kiss, putting everything they had as it flowed to the other.

Shaoran's tongue teased her outside her mouth before it finally entered. Sakura responded to him. She loved him and couldn't quite really come to terms that she was indeed kissing him. It all felt like a dream…a dream she wished would never end. To be in his loving embrace, sharing a sweet kiss with him, made her heart soar. It was like nothing bad had happened. It seemed that all that pain was worth it and it didn't really matter. What was amazing about it was that she knew that he felt it too. He shared her feelings. He shared her thoughts.

They broke the kiss, gasping to catch their breaths, with a promise of more to come. It was all new to them yet it didn't feel that way. It seemed that they had been lovers for years. Nothing ever felt so right. Both were blushing as they shared the truth between them. They didn't need words to express anything. They felt it. It had always been like that with them, only now it had been intensified with the turn their relationship had. Staring at each other's eyes, they somehow saw their own reflection knowing full well that the other was a part of the other. That would never change. No matter what life brings them, they knew that that would never change.

For the years that they had been by each other's side, they knew that their new relationship had its risks and it wasn't going to be smooth sailing all the time. But neither doubted the fact that they would be able to overcome it. As best friends they were able to overcome anything, so now that they were officially lovers, closer to each other's heart, why wouldn't they be able to triumph over problems?

Sakura leaned against Shaoran's broad chest. The moment she rested her head on his chest, she could hear his heart beating loud and strong. Her smile broadened as she knew that it was beating for her. His heart belonged to her as much as hers belonged to him. She could feel herself melt a little more as he tightened his embrace a little and ran a hand on her back.

Shaoran held her tight. Having her in his arms made his heart too big for his chest. The truth brought him so much bliss that he never thought was possible. He never thought he'd be able to feel that way. He never had this intense feeling with Rika. It was different. This was as real as it could get and it couldn't be righter than it was.

"I know what it's like to have you and to have lost you. Now that you are here by my side, I don't ever want to lose you again, Sakura. I love you too much that it kills me to think and remember the time that I thought I've lost you forever." Shaoran whispered softly.

Sakura smiled a little and closed her eyes. She listened to his words and allowed it to talk directly into her heart. The words would forever be imprinted there, treasured for all time. "You never lost me, Shaoran. My heart had never left you. My thoughts and actions never left you. Everything was for you to be happy. I never left you." Sakura whispered back.

"I know that now. I never even got to thank you for saving my life."

She was surprised with his words. She straightened herself and broke off from him a little. She looked straight into his eyes. He could tell that she was taken aback by his words. He couldn't help but smile and caress her cheek gently. She said nothing as she closed her eyes and savored his touch.

"Did Wei-san tell you? Ryu-san? Eriol? Tomoyo? Rika-san?" She gently asked.

He smiled at her again and shook his head. "My mother told me. Apparently, Wei told her. She knew that it would be against your wishes but she felt that I needed to know before I allowed myself to believe that I have lost you forever." He explained.

He tenderly took her hand and placed it at his heart. He then proceeded on to say, "This heart will always beat and belong to you. You are the one who gave me back my life. I had prepared for the worst but now knowing that you feel the same, I've never felt so alive."

Sakura giggled a little and cupped his face. She had a big smile ready for him as she looked deep into his eyes. She then went on to say, "What I did is nothing compared to everything you have done for me. And may I just say that it's going to take awhile for me to get used to hearing you say such emotional, heart-felt words. Even though I already know that part of you, I usually had to pry and force you to say it so it's going to take awhile."

Shaoran laughed and held her hands. "Don't worry. I am not in a hurry. Take all the time you need because I will never get tired to saying it to you now." He replied, smiling broadly at her. He meant it too. All of it. That was what he loved about his relationship with Sakura. He could tell her anything and everything, especially the truth without much difficulty. He knew she accepted him as much as he accepted her. It was all good.

"I guess things are going to get back to normal now, huh?" She commented.

He nodded. "Except for one thing." He said.

She eyed him suspiciously and asked, "Which is?"

He grinned at her and replied, "I would like it very much if you'd be my girl friend from now on. But no pressure there."

Sakura laughed a little and answered, "That goes without saying, Shaoran. But I guess you just had a need to hear it. I can understand why we all need some verbal confirmation sometimes."

"So? What do you say?"

"What do you think?"

Shaoran grinned. "Keep me in suspense, will ya?" He teased.

"Right. So pouring my heart out to you, confessing and all isn't enough of an answer?" She rallied back.

"You know you really should take on debate. You just have a talent for arguing." He commented.

She was about to answer but he didn't let her. He silenced her with a kiss. Seizing her lips was something he knew he would never get tired of. The sweet taste of her lips was something he would always want to linger in his own. When he broke off, he continued on to say, "Thank you, Sakura, for everything. For letting me go and making me see the truth for myself. For always being there for me. For saving my life and especially for loving me."

Sakura smiled. There was really no need for thanks but having him say it, she told him that he was welcome and that why she was there in the first place…to make sure that he was safe, happy and most especially, loved. He then fished something in his pocket. When he found it, he brought it up to her sight. She realized that it was the golden dragon. He then said, "It does bring you luck. It just brought me to you. It has served me well. I think you should have it back."

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "Keep it. Your entrance exams are coming up. Take it with you. Besides, I don't need to keep it with me for it to bring me luck. It brought you here, that's enough. Besides, it had made our fates intertwined the moment I left Hong Kong years ago. As long as you have it and you're around me, it doesn't make much of a difference whether I'm holding it or not." Shaoran smirked.

(to be continued…)

They are together at last. Hehe. Well, just one more chapter to go. Hope to still be with you at the end. Thanks.

Michiko


	38. What Awaits

**A/N: I never really expected that this fic / storyline would be accepted the way it did. Honestly, I had a hangover with 'Taboo' and I thought that I might not be able to pour my heart into this like I did with that and I was just thinking that maybe the reason why I'm writing this is to let that hangover pass. But then as the story progressed, I was surprised that I got attached just as much, or even more, to the characters in this fic. I get really emotional and attached when I write a story so it's always hard for me to wrap up a fic as much as it feels like an accomplishment. I know that my writing skills are still mediocre and there is still a lot of room for improvement but this time, before this fic truly ends, I want to thank everyone for the support…for reading and especially for reviewing. If I wasn't able to put your name up there, well thanks anyway. I know that I'll continue writing until I find the style I'm comfortable with but anyway, I won't keep this long. Let me now present that last chapter of 'Oyasuminasai Tomadachi-kun'. ^_^**

**Michiko**

_Oyasuminasai Tomadachi-kun_

Chapter 38 What Awaits

September, everyone was back at school. Summer vacation was over and yet no one was really complaining. So much has happened that it seemed that so much time had passed than it really did. With the new flow of things, Sakura was a little anxious starting school again but Shaoran held her hand tight as they walked to school that morning. Just by standing next to him gave her enough encouragement to believe that yes, everything was going to be fine. He even teased her that she had been through worst.

Lunch that day, Sakura stayed with Tomoyo and their other friends at their classroom. She knew that Shaoran had some debate stuff to deal with and Tomoyo said that she wanted to show her something.

"Well ladies, I'll be taking my leave. Utaro asked me and the guys to help him set something up for Megumi. Don't tell ok? Cover for us. See you guys later." Eriol said as he stood.

"Sure. No problem. That will be easy." Naoko said.

"Good luck you guys." Chiharu then said as he left. He smiled back at them.

"So? What is it that you wanted to show me?" Sakura then said when she and the other girls were left.

Tomoyo smiled and took out the magazine that they worked on that summer. It wasn't in the stores yet. Tomoyo got the first copy and she wanted Sakura to see it first. She held it up and Sakura was stunned that her picture was picked for the cover page.

"Oh my God…" Sakura exclaimed as she took the magazine from Tomoyo. Her hands were shaking. Naoko and Chiharu stood next to her to have a better look.

"I have another copy." Tomoyo said as she took out another one and handed it over to Naoko and Chiharu while she placed her attention to Sakura. Tomoyo couldn't help but smile. She knew that Sakura hadn't expected that her picture would be picked for the cover of the maiden issue. She rested head on her hand as she leaned on her elbow on Sakura's desk. Sakura had started shifting through the pages.

"I can't believe you are a model now, Sakura, and you a fashion designer, Tomoyo." Chiharu commented.

"I guess this is enough of a reason why you quit the squad." Naoko then said.

Sakura looked up at Tomoyo. Tomoyo looked back at her. "You didn't tell them?" She mouthed. Sakura shook her head. Chiharu and Naoko didn't seem to notice the exchange between Tomoyo and Sakura. Tomoyo smiled at Sakura.

"So how come you didn't tell me that I'd be on the cover page?" Sakura then asked.

"Well honestly, even I didn't know. I was just as surprised as you when I saw it. The center fold has our pictures together. Since it's both our debut, they thought it better that our section be placed there." Tomoyo explained as she saw Sakura flip to the centerfold. Tomoyo saw her smile.

Sakura then commented, "We did a pretty good job. Your career is going to take off from this Tomoyo."

"Yours will too." Sakura heard someone whisper to her ear. She knew that voice. She didn't need to turn to look. Shaoran leaned at her, arms either side of her, resting on her table. He then kissed her on the cheek as she turned to him.

"I thought you had debate?" She asked.

He looked at her and smiled. "I did. We finished early. Come on. Let's go." He said as he straightened out and took her hand.

"Wait! Where are we going?" Sakura said.

"Ryu asked me and Kenishiro to get you and Shiho and bring you guys to the student council office."

"Why? What's up?"

Shaoran shrugged and said, "He was vague on details. He's at the Principal's office right now. He'll meet us there." Sakura nodded as she allowed herself to be led.

He then turned at Tomoyo and said, "Excuse us. And great job, Tomoyo. I agree with Sakura. Your career is going to take off after this."

Tomoyo smiled as she watched them go. Chiharu and Naoko then approached her and said, "Those two look so good together."

"Yeah. They do." Tomoyo replied dreamily. She still could remember the moment Shaoran had actually confessed his feelings for Sakura. She had always known him as someone stoic but would let his guard down with Sakura. Having been able to witness it all, it was such a romantic thing that it felt like she was watching it off from a movie, only better. Tomoyo couldn't help but smile.

XxXxXx

"So? Vague on the details…well, what were the details he did say?" Sakura asked as they walked down the corridor towards the student council office.

Not once did Shaoran let go of her hand. Shaoran grinned and replied, "Well when I said that he was vague on the details, I really meant _vague. _All he said was to find you and Shiho and bring you to the office. That's basically it." Sakura shook her head.

Pretty soon, Sakura and Shaoran had met up with Shiho and Kenishiro. They entered the office and settled down. "So what's up?" Shiho then asked.

"I was wondering that myself. Shaoran here was really a big help in illuminating the topic." Sakura commented.

"Yeah well Kenishiro-sempai wasn't much help either." Shiho said. The two guys smirked.

As if on cue, Ryu entered with a piece of paper in his hand. All waited for him to say something. He sat and grinned. He then went on to say, "Well don't jump on me all at the same time." They shook their heads. "Alright, alright." Ryu said as he handed the paper over to Sakura. She looked at him questioningly. He smirked and motioned her to read the paper. Sakura shook her head and started reading.

As she read and realization dawned on her, Sakura couldn't help but say, "Oh my God…you're not serious…I mean…Shiho read it." She quickly handed the paper over to Shiho. She then looked back at Ryu and he grinned at her. Shiho took the paper and read it. Pretty soon, she had the same reaction as with Sakura.

"Ryu-san, I appreciate the nomination but I can't do it. I don't plan on running for office next year. You know why." Sakura said.

"Sorry, Ryu-sempai. I've also been thinking lately and I'm more geared towards not running next year. But I also appreciate the nomination." Shiho also said.

Ryu grinned and glanced at both Shaoran and Kenishiro. "Uh-oh. How come I'm not liking that look?" Sakura commented, noticing the glances the guys were sharing. They grinned at her.

"Ryu had a feeling you were going to say that. Well, all of us were talking and after awhile, Kenishiro and I figured that he's right that you two would just say that. So, we put our heads together to come up with something that you two wouldn't be able to say no to." Shaoran explained.

Sakura was about to argue but then again, kept her mouth shut. Shiho too wanted to argue but then was silenced when she saw Kenishiro produce another set of papers. It caught Sakura's eye as well.

"Well ladies, we all know you two so we, I mean us, initiated a signature campaign. We are all seniors and obviously we won't be here next year and we would want to leave knowing that the student body would be left in the hands of people who we know will do a good job. So, as seniors and won't really have a say on the matter come elections, we had all the senior class and club officers sign these papers saying and recommending Sakura as the next president and Shiho as the next vice president." Kenishiro said.

Sakura stood from where she was sitting next to Shaoran and walked to where Shiho and Kenishiro were sitting. She took one of the papers and saw for herself that they weren't kidding. Shiho looked up at her. Sakura looked back.

"Can we ignore this, Sakura-sempai?" Shiho asked. Sakura looked at her and didn't answer right away.

"Ryu-san, you know that I am going to the Olympics next summer and I'll be training a lot and I have a contract with Tomoyo…I don't want to commit myself into running for something I'm not sure I will be able to perform good at. But I think, Shiho, that you should go for it. I trust that you will be able to nail it." Sakura said.

"If I'm going to go through with this, Sakura-sempai, I really would like you to take the chance with me. I mean, isn't it what we do? Look out for each other when the going gets tough? If we are going to be re-elected, the new student council will be as solid as this one." Shiho said.

Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Alright. I accept. I will let the student body decide but I accept the nomination."

After talking awhile, Shaoran accompanied Sakura back to her class room. "_I only know vague details…_yeah right." Sakura commented making Shaoran smirk.

"After all this time, I should have known that _y_ou guys planned something like this." She added making him laugh a little bit.

He placed his arm around her and bid her closer to him a little. "C'est la vie. You'll do fine. I know you will. Besides, Shiho is going to be there with you through it. Elected or not, it's going to be fine. Take it at a stride. Even if we won't be here next year, we will still be here by your side, yours and Shiho's. So don't fret." He said as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

XxXxXx

Spring. Graduation rites.

With the seat of power already been passed from Ryu to Sakura and from Sakura to Shiho, the new set of student council members, it was time for the seniors to receive the fruits of their labor. Sakura and Shiho were there to assist as head of the new student council.

"Sakura-sempai, want to come with us after the ceremony? This is the last day of school and well Saito and I have set up this date for Kenishiro-sempai. Kenishisho-sempai doesn't know and well I was wondering if you can come to make it less obvious before Kenishiro-sempai breaks down all bashful and stuff. He really likes this girl and just his luck, she's Saito's older cousin." Shiho said.

Sakura started laughing. She knew that even if Kenishiro was had this all-macho, strong, intellectual, fun image, he still scares easily when it came to girls. It was one of the reasons why he still didn't have a girl friend. He just needed that push.

"Sorry, Shiho. Shaoran and I already have plans. He asked me to come with him somewhere after the ceremony. But please do tell what happens. I would really like to know how Kenishiro turns out." Sakura replied.

Shiho then gave Sakura a knowing grin. Sakura looked at her a little suspiciously. She raised an eyebrow at her. Shiho then intertwined her arm on Sakura's and asked, "So, is Li-sempai proposing or something?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous." Sakura replied, blushing.

Shiho grinned and said, "I won't be surprised if you two end up together forever, Sakura-sempai. Tomoyo-sempai is right. You two belong together and it's about time that you two _are _together." Sakura smiled back at her.

XxXxXx

After the ceremony…

Shaoran was at the driver's seat and Sakura next to him. "So where exactly are we going?" Sakura asked. Shaoran never did tell her where he planned on taking her. All she knew was that it was an overnight thing and that it was out of town. When she had told her father, he didn't seem to mind. He was ok with the idea. Sakura felt it weird but then told herself that it was nothing really.

Shaoran smiled and glanced at her for a second before turning his attention back on the road. "You'll see." Was all he answered her.

She glanced at him and shook her head before smiling and looking out the car window again. "Shizuoka…" She whispered.

Shaoran grinned, pretending that he hadn't heard her. He trusted her capabilities. It had always been like that. He knew that she would figure it out.

"What did you say?" Shaoran decided to ask.

"Huh? I didn't say anything?"

"Yeah right."

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "Fine. I said Shizuoka. That's where we are going right?"

"Sometimes I can't help but wonder how you know."

"Hmm let's think…I guess reading the road signs doesn't help…oh and let's not forget you mentioning before that when you graduate, you'd want to take a road trip to Shizuoka and visit the temple your dad visited before he headed back to Hong Kong and married your mother."

Shaoran laughed. "Good. It saves me the trouble of having to explain to you why we are heading there." He said, taking a glance at her. She smiled at him.

"This trip really means a lot for you, doesn't it?"

"Yeah it does. I went through his stuff the last time I was in Hong Kong. I found out that he got the dragon here. It was given to him by this monk at the temple in Shizuoka, a good luck charm for his up-coming marriage. He was a free-spirited man. He loved my mother. It was a dilemma. He wanted to be with my mother but he also wanted his freedom. He journeyed and somehow found his way to Shizuoka. He said that his life started there. Now that all of us, his children have finished high school and have come of age, I wanted to give something back to him."

"Coming full circle."

"Exactly." Shaoran answered, smiling at her. "And it means so much to me that you are here to share this." He added.

Sakura smiled and placed a hand over his on the gear. She felt his thumb brush lightly on the back of her hand. She kept her hand there as they continued on to Shizuoka. It was a little hard finding the temple but still they managed to. After saying a prayer, they headed to an inn to spend the night in.

Later into the night, Sakura walked out into the quaint balcony which over looked the sea and the rural part of Shizuoka. She could see the prominent features of the temple nearby. She smiled at the sight. The sky was clear and all the stars could be seen above. It was so peaceful that it made her heart settle as well. With the gentle breeze blowing her hair a little, she watched the silent dance the night had over the land. The laid back part of town was simply a wonderful change in atmosphere.

Soon, she felt Shaoran's arms wrap around her waist. She allowed him to pull her into a warm embrace and rested her head on the crook of his neck. She loved the feel of his protectiveness around her. She had never felt so safe than when she would find herself in his arms.

"Sakura?" He whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Come to Hong Kong with me over spring break."

"Sure. I'd like that. It would be nice to get to see everyone again."

Shaoran grinned. He had never wanted anything like this so badly in his life before. She occupied his every thought and dream. This was it. "You better brush up with your Mandarin, Sakura." He commented.

He heard her laugh and reply, "Hey! I never stopped understanding Chinese. I just can't articulate."

"I can help you there." Shaoran said as he turned her to face him.

Sakura gazed up into his loving eyes and smiled. She rested her hands on his chest. "Our dreams started in Hong Kong. Our lives started there. It would be like running full circle of our own."

Shaoran looked at her tenderly and ran his hand on her hair. He loved running his hand on her hair. He loved every part of her. "Yeah. I guess you can put it that way. Hearing stories of the world back when we were kids is what made you want to aspire to serve the world…to travel it…to be part of it. It started my dream too."

"Which dream is that?"

He smiled at her again and replied, "To be the one to bring you around the world."

Sakura felt herself blush. Shaoran grinned. "Hey! Stop making me blush will ya?" She commented.

He laughed and said, "I can't do that. I can't hide the truth from you anymore." Sakura shook her head and blushed a little more.

"Sakura…" He then said gently to make her look at him again.

"I want to ask you something…" He continued. He blushed. Sakura's heart started to beat a little faster. She waited patiently for him to continue. "I love you. I love you so much and…I know we are both not ready…but…I want nothing more than for you to be with me…I was wondering…God! Why is this so hard?" Shaoran said. He blushed. He knew it was what he wanted but he never felt so lost for words in his entire life.

Sakura smiled at him and waited patiently. He took a deep breath and took her hands in his. He looked straight into her eyes and said, "Sakura, I was wondering if you would come back to Hong Kong with me, not as my best friend or just my girl friend, but as my fiancée?" Sakura was taken aback. Shaoran held her hands tighter and kept her in his gaze. He made his gentle plea. "I love you and I understand that we both still have things to fulfill before we are ready for marriage. But I doubt that I will ever find another to love more than I do with you. I just love you too much and I don't ever want to lose you again. During my formal ascension as head of the family, I would like to introduce you as my future wife…that is if will accept me…will you marry me, Sakura?"

XxXxXx

The alarm went off and Sakura started to break away from the clutches of sleep. She stirred and groggily shut off her alarm. She blinked a couple of times, blinded slightly by the light that had entered her window. As her vision cleared, Sakura started to see the figure she had always known was by her side. His outline was unmistakable. He was always there to greet her every morning when she woke up, watching over her when she slept and exchanged candid talks before she slept at night. He had always been her guardian, her dear friend. He helped her understand things that she otherwise would never understand. His gentle face. His long hair. His wings. Everything about him was familiar as he had always been her guardian angel, even before she knew the full extent of her gift.

"Good morning, Yue. But really…could you have just let me at least stay longer…it was the best part." Sakura said as she remained lying down. She glanced back at her clock above her head. It registered 6:30.

"Good morning to you too, Sakura. Sorry but I had to cut it there. You can't dream of an entire life time in one night." Yue answered as he smiled at her. "But I can let you dream for at least the happenings of the next couple of months." He added.

Sakura brought her hand on her forehead. She was a little bothered yet content with her latest dream. She didn't know if she should let herself blush or truly be bothered. She let herself do both. It was an eye-opener. It wasn't a new experience. She had learned to live with that gift a long time ago. It had been a part of her. A part of her still gets bothered with the dreams but she knew that she couldn't stop them from happening. It was like telling herself not to live, telling her heart to stop beating. She was really glad though that she had Yue as her guide through it all.

"Yue…I still don't get it…what's the point of having those dreams if I'll be forgetting most of it…99% of it? Can you just tell me that ok it will be a good decision or that would be a bad decision or it will work out eventually or something?" Sakura commented.

Yue started laughing. Sakura loved his laugh. It had always calmed her and told her that it was part of it. It reminded her that her gift was really a unique one. He stood and sat next to her in bed. He looked down at her and smiled. He then said, "Basically, Sakura, you are a very stubborn person. I can't just say that because knowing you, you would want to find out the real reason behind it and will do everything you can to figure out the details. Your gift allows you to get a peak into the future through your dreams to convince your mind what your heart already knows to be right. Take for example, what you did yesterday. You walked up to Rika and asked her to tell you the truth. You called Shaoran to meet you today at noon. You did that because your heart knows it's right. With the dreams, well, now your mind knows it too."

Sakura looked at him, thoughtful. She knew that he was speaking of the truth. But then she said, "But knowing what I do now doesn't make saying goodbye to my best friend any easier. I know with this, he will have Rika-san back and he will be happy again. I know that this must happen. But it just doesn't make things easier."

Yue smiled at her again. He understood her apprehension. He understood how she felt. He took a deep breath and said, "Doing the right thing isn't always easy, Sakura. I know you know that. I've always told you to follow your heart. Right now, I know it's hard but you are strong. When the time comes that you can't find your strength, there will be others around you who will lend you their strength and get you through. You've seen it already. You know. I will always be here to guide you. Believe me when I say that it gets better and it gets easier. The first step is always the hardest."

Sakura shifted a little in bed and popped herself up and rested her head on her elbow. She looked up at him and said, "Yeah. I believe you, Yue. I've seen that and felt that. I've felt it all. My mind will slowly forget and it will pop up when the time comes. Right now, it sort of feels weird you know? I know I'm doing this for Shaoran but in the end, it will turn out that I will be doing this for myself as well. Everyone will turn out happy…all except one."

"Who would that be, Sakura?"

Sakura smiled at him and answered, "You."

Yue looked at her stunned.

She smiled again and said, "By next fall, everyone would be so happy and things will be as it should be. But what about you, Yue? You have also been by my side and have been my guardian angel forever and I still don't know how to make sure that you are happy as well."

Yue smiled. When he first became in charge of her, being her mentor and guide through her gift, he thought that it would be pretty much just like any other charge. But she had accepted him whole and treated him more as a friend than a guardian, a servant. To him, Sakura deserved her gift. She deserved it all.

"Don't worry about me, Sakura. I'm happy. So, your brother isn't around and so is your dad, do you want to sleep in a little? You still have five hours and a half before your meeting with Shaoran at Central. I can allow you to sleep in." Yue answered.

"Really? I'd really like that. I don't want to have to wait for the next five hours agitated for what I know would be the hardest thing I'll ever do in my life."

Yue smirked and pulled the covers over her as she laid back down. "You'll wake me up right?" Sakura asked.

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry. I'll wake you up. I'll send you some scary dreams where you're chased by a buffalo or something. I'm sure you'll wake up from that."

Sakura laughed a little and smiled at him. "Thanks, Yue. Just not to scary please or I'll never talk to you again. Good night, Yue…" She said as Yue just smirked. He then passed his hand over her eyes and sleep took hold of her.

Yue smiled. Yue whispered as he continued to watch over her, keeping her safe and guiding her through her dreams. No one else could see him aside from her but it didn't matter. He already was given the most precious thing that he never thought he would be able to have…a true friend.

"_You wanted to know what happens after Shaoran proposes…you will find out soon enough. You two will have a long, wonderful life together. A few humps on the road but you two will be able to handle it together. You both will live out your dreams. Your friends and family will also find their dreams. Your gift will always be faithful to you as I am. I will guide you forever and guard you from harm. You ask how you can make me happy…just smile, Sakura. Seeing your smile is enough to make me feel light. Since I am connected to you, my existence is connected to you, I feel what you feel. So as long as you are happy, I am also happy, my dear Mistress. You treat me more than a servant. You treat me as a confidant, a valued friend. For that I am truly grateful. Sleep now, Sakura. __Oyasuminasai tomadachi-kun…" _

**THE END**

**I can't believe that I've finally written the last chapter. Ok I'm getting emotional again…it was real guys. Thank you so much. I don't know if you guys knew that that was coming but anyway, thanks a lot! It was a meaningful three months of writing this fic and I learned a lot in terms of who I am as a writer. I couldn't have figured that one out without you so I'm truly grateful. There is still a lot of room for improvement for an average writer like me so having read your reviews and seeing the hits, favs, alerts, c2s, is truly an honor. Special thanks to those who offered to edit my French. I really appreciate it. I still have a lot to learn writing in French. Also, I'll be editing this fic when I find the time and when I find the encouragement and energy to do so. Well anyway, so much for that. Thanks so much! For the last time, please do send in your reviews for the closing chapter of Oyasuminasai Tomadachi-kun. Thanks!**

**Michiko**


	39. Epilogue

**A/N: It's been a few years since I finished this story but looking back and well the people who kept on adding this story on alert even if I already said that it was already 'the end'…well it got me thinking. After a LOT OF MONTHS thinking about this, this is what I came up with. I won't comment on what I came up with hehe I'll just let you read.**

**Michiko**

**Oh hehe before I forget, italics are for flashback and normal texts are of course all about the present. Hope you guys enjoy. I know I enjoyed writing it.**

**EPILOGUE**

Sakura stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself. She couldn't help but smile. After everything they had been through this is finally happening. It was summer. She was wearing a white summer dress that fell until past her knees. The doors towards the balcony overlooking their garden were open, letting the wonderful cool breeze to enter the room and making the translucent white curtains dance against it. She had just taken shower and was brushing her long auburn, waist length hair.

As she finished up, she couldn't help let her smile widen a bit. She still found it somewhat surreal at what her life turned out to be. She loved everything about it. Sure she had problems and there were heartaches but most of it she was so grateful and happy about.

She could remember the moment Shaoran proposed to her. She could remember having her breath stolen, unsure if she heard him right. Did he really propose to her?

"_S-Shao…ran…" His name was the only thing her voice found. She looked up into his eyes and saw nothing but overwhelming love and devotion. She knew that he was serious. There wasn't a hint of humor in them, only love, anxiety and even slight fear. _

_When Shaoran saw her smile, he felt his heart melt. The happiness that reflected in her eyes, he could only watch as her mouth moved to utter that words that would change their lives forever._

"_Y-yes, Shaoran. I want nothing more than to become your wife."_

_Shaoran let a smile sweep his face as he took her left hand and placed the ring on her finger. He then brought the hand towards his lips and kissed it. Tears of happiness were falling from her eyes. He pulled her towards him gently and they shared a sweet, passionate kiss._

"_I swear to you, Sakura, I will take care of you and love you until my last breath." He whispered as he engulfed her within his arms._

_Sakura broke off and looked up at him. She smiled and cupped his face with her hands. She guided his lips towards her and graced her lips gently on his. "I know, my love. At this moment, I swear to you that I will always take care of you and love you until my last breath."_

Their vows that night were their first vows. They knew that informally, they had already joined but they knew they had to wait. When Shaoran brought Sakura with him on his trip, no one was really surprised that they were engaged, Sakura was welcomed by his family, all of them saying 'welcome to the family' or 'finally', giving a wink or two at the couple.

Personally, Sakura didn't really see the reason for the 'welcome to the family'. For her, ever since she was a young girl living in Hong Kong, she had treated Shaoran and his family like her own family. She was really close to Yelan, especially since her mother's death years ago. She was close to his sisters and his cousins. It was only a matter of making things official.

Sakura's thoughts drifted to the moment that she told her friends and family about the engagement. Touya only smirked and told her that it was about time while he gave Shaoran a cold glare, a warning that if he ever hurt Sakura again, he was going to kill him. Tomoyo squealed with delight, insisting that she would design Sakura's dress and the bridesmaids. Sakura didn't have any reservations allowing her. She was her partner in the fashion industry, she was the model while Tomoyo was the designer. Eriol had helped Tomoyo with organizing the wedding photo shoots.

_On the day itself, Sakura woke up and was greeted by Tomoyo. She stayed over at Tomoyo's house so that she would prepare there for her big day. _

_As Sakura stood on the stool while Tomoyo fumbled with the dress, she couldn't help but feel nervous and excited at the same time. Tomoyo hadn't allowed her to see the dress so she wasn't exactly sure how it was going to turn out but she had faith in her best friend that it was going to be magnificent. _

"_Can you believe it Tomoyo? After such a long courtship, this day finally arrived." Sakura said._

_Tomoyo gave a giggle and replied, "Yeah. Well you both have been waiting your entire lives, of course it's going to be a very long engagement/ courtship." With that both of them laughed. "Now hold still I'm fixing the final details and then we're on to makeup."_

"_Alright. Hey, are we still on after Shaoran and I get back?"_

"_Yup. By the time you and your husband get back, I'll be finished with all the dresses and we're all set for the photo shoot." _

_Sakura couldn't help but blush. Yeah. In a matter of a few hours, they would finally be married and Shaoran would be officially her husband, bound to each other in every way._

"_So when do I get to see the whole of the dress?"_

"_Not until I'm done with your makeup and hair."_

_After what seemed like forever, Tomoyo finished helping her with the dress and was done with the makeup and hair. When she told Sakura to look at herself, Sakura felt her breath caught up in so much surprise. She almost did not recognize herself. "Tomoyo…" She started._

"_Nope. No tears. Today is a special day so I'm treating my best friend and model into something really special. I'm sure it will knock that husband of yours off his feet."_

"_Thank you, Tomoyo." Sakura said as she hugged her female best friend. She then heard a whistle come from the door. They straightened out. _

"_You finally look human, kaiju." Touya said with a smirk as he walked in with Yukito, Fujitaka and Eriol._

"_I'll take that as a compliment, 'nii-chan, especially coming from you."_

"_You look absolutely beautiful, my dear." Fujitaka said as he hugged his daughter, while Yukito and Eriol muttered their compliments._

Pretty much everything that day was a blur until she found herself in her father's arms, walking down the aisle, having her eyes only on the man who was her other half. He was the only one she saw. He was the only one who was important to her at that moment. She was joining her life with him in the eyes of God and everyone present. She had finally found her place.

Sakura couldn't help but smile at the memory. As she looked out into their garden, she unconsciously laid a hand on her slightly swollen belly. She placed a hand on the miracle she and Shaoran had created.

Suddenly, a pair of strong, warm arms wrapped themselves around her waist, drawing her back against a strong chest. She didn't have to look back to know that it was Shaoran. His hand rested on top of hers on her belly. He rested his chin on her shoulder, inhaling her scent, drawing her nearer to him. Sakura loved the feeling of love and protection she felt whenever she found herself in his embrace.

"I'm home, love." He whispered.

"Welcome home, my love." Sakura said above a whisper, sinking into his warmth. She had missed him. He had been gone for two weeks on business.

He turned her to face him and didn't hesitate to kiss her. He was wearing a white button-up shirt, with his sleeves up to his elbows and blue jeans. After, he knelt and placed his hand on her stomach and gave it a kiss.

"I'm back, little one. I hope that you kept your mother company while I was gone. I've missed you too."

Sakura couldn't help but smile. "He's been busy while you've been gone, my love. Our son is a very active one."

"He?" Shaoran said as he stood and placed an arm around his wife's waist.

She smiled back at him. She placed a hand on his cheek and replied, "Yes. I told you we're having a son. The doctor confirmed it three days ago during my checkup. I wish you could have been there."

"I wish I could have too. I'll be there during your next checkup. I promise." The simple promise made Sakura glow some more.

She hugged him and said, "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too."

"Oh, 'ka-san called. She wants us to come for dinner when you've arrived."

"Ah," Shaoran replied as he scooped his wife in his arms and headed towards the bed. "We'll go tomorrow. Tonight, I want to spend it with you and our son."

"I'd like that." Sakura said as she looked up at him, arms around his neck. "Oh!" She said as she took his hand and placed it on her stomach. His eyes widened when he felt the baby kick. "I guess he likes that idea too." He couldn't help but feel the overwhelming love and perfection his family gave him. In a few months time they would be welcoming their first child. Life couldn't be more perfect than it was.

After a few months…

"Just one more push, Sakura. The head is almost out." The doctor said.

Sakura gathered her strength for the next contraction. Shaoran was there holding her hand. "You're doing fine, sweetheart." He said, kissing her sweaty forehead. When the contraction came, Sakura pushed with all her might and the baby was born. When she heard his first cries, tears of joy slipped through her eyes as she hugged Shaoran.

When they held their baby in their arms for the very first time after being brought back to her room, it was like they had a piece of heaven given to them. This little baby boy she cradled in her arms is the product of their love, their little miracle.

"Seiran. Our little Seiran." Sakura whispered. Shaoran kissed her and his son on the head.

"Rest, love. I will watch over the both of you." He whispered in her ear, lying slightly by her side, an arm under her shoulders. She leaned her head on where his shoulder and neck met and allowed his warmth to envelop her. She held her son in her arm, him lying on her mother's chest. Shaoran pulled them close.

She kissed Shaoran before allowing sleep to take hold of her. Holding his family in his arms made Shaoran feel that he had the entire world in his arms. He would always watch over them, love them, protect them until his last breath.

THE END

**A/N: Ok guys this was a little something to add to the story, just to give it a sense of closure. Please send in what you guys think. Thanks.**

**SPECIAL MENTIONS AND THANKS TO:**

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**EDITED MY FRENCH TRANSLATIONS: **amli, (offered to edit) an angel from darkness


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